UZBEKISTAN'S CHESS TEAM – TWO-TIME OLYMPIAD CHAMPIONS!

A new and remarkable chapter has been written in the history of Uzbek chess. At the 46th World Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, the national team of Uzbekistan demonstrated outstanding skill, strong determination, and true team spirit, securing the prestigious title of Olympiad champion for the second time.

The tournament brought together nearly 2,000 chess players from more than 200 countries. Competing against the world’s leading national teams, Uzbekistan delivered strong performances throughout the event and achieved decisive results in the final rounds. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated the members of the national team, their coaches, and mentors on this historic victory.

According to official FIDE information, in the final round of the 2026 Olympiad, Uzbekistan defeated Ukraine by 2.5-1.5, securing first place in the Open tournament. Thus, after its triumph in Chennai in 2022, the national team won the Chess Olympiad gold medal for the second time.

This achievement became a logical continuation of the steady progress of Uzbek chess in recent years. At the 44th World Chess Olympiad held in Chennai, India, in 2022, Uzbekistan’s young national team took first place among 188 teams and became Olympiad champion for the first time in the country’s history. The team completed all 11 rounds of that tournament without a single defeat.

At the next Chess Olympiad, held in Budapest in 2024, Uzbekistan won the bronze medal. Shamsiddin Vokhidov also claimed an individual gold medal on board four. As a result, across three consecutive Olympiads in 2022, 2024, and 2026 - Uzbekistan consistently finished among the medalists, winning two gold medals and one bronze.

Every member of the team made an important contribution to the 2026 victory. Nodirbek Abdusattorov completed the tournament undefeated on board one and won an individual gold medal with a performance rating of 2869. Mukhiddin Madaminov, making his Olympiad debut, scored 5.5 points from 7 games, remained unbeaten, and provided the decisive winning point for the team in the crucial match against Ukraine.

Nodirbek Yakubboev, Javokhir Sindarov, and Shamsiddin Vokhidov also played a significant role in maintaining the team’s strong and consistent performance throughout the tournament. The preparation, resilience, and fighting spirit of the Uzbek players were especially evident in their encounters with such traditional chess powerhouses and highly rated teams as India, China, and the United States.

Uzbekistan’s current chess success is built on a strong national school developed over many years and on the potential of a talented new generation. Nodirbek Abdusattorov drew global attention to Uzbekistan in 2021, when at the age of 17 he became the World Rapid Chess Champion. In that championship, he scored 9.5 points, the same as Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Fabiano Caruana, and then defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi in the tiebreak.

Today’s achievements also demonstrate the effectiveness of the system being developed in Uzbekistan to support intellectual sports, identify talented young people, and help them reach the international stage. The fact that the 2026 Olympiad was held in Samarkand once again highlighted the country’s growing capacity and experience in hosting major international chess events. Samarkand had previously hosted the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in 2023.

Uzbekistan’s women’s national team also showed a respectable performance at the 46th World Chess Olympiad, recording seven victories in 11 rounds and finishing in 13th place. Uzbekistan’s para chess players, meanwhile, won the country’s first bronze medal in the history of the Olympiad.

Such achievements in chess also carry great social significance. The success of young chess players on the international stage serves as a powerful factor in increasing interest in intellectual sports among the younger generation and encouraging such qualities as determination, strategic thinking, patience, and responsibility.

The championship journey that began in Chennai has reached a new stage in Samarkand. 2022 gold, 2024 bronze, 2026 gold again. These results clearly demonstrate that Uzbekistan’s chess school is consistently performing at the highest level on the world stage.

Dear champions!

We sincerely congratulate you on your historic victory at the 46th World Chess Olympiad and on becoming two-time Olympiad champions!

Every one of your victories demonstrates to the world the intellectual potential of Uzbekistan’s youth, their pursuit of knowledge, and their ability to achieve ambitious goals.

We wish you to achieve many more triumphs, reach new heights, and proudly raise the flag of Uzbekistan on the world's chess stages again and again!

Congratulations on this great victory, Uzbekistan!

With respect,

Republican Center for the Study of Public Opinion

“Ijtimoiy Fikr”