Uzbekistan crowned world team champions in Samarkand as Germany returns to the podium with bronze

The 46th Chess Olympiad came to a close on 27 and 28 September 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. In front of their home crowd, the host team claimed gold in the open tournament by beating Ukraine, while Germany returned to the podium for the first time in twenty-six years. A conclusion that confirms the host nation’s rise on the world chess stage.

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The essentials
• Uzbekistan beat Ukraine 2.5-1.5 in the final round and finished with 20 points out of 22: a second Olympiad title after Chennai 2022.
• India took silver (18 points) thanks to a 2-2 draw against Hungary; Germany claimed bronze (18 points) by beating the Netherlands 2.5-1.5, their first medal since Istanbul 2000.
• Nodirbek Abdusattorov finished unbeaten and won individual gold on board one in the open, with a performance of 2869 Elo points.
• In the women’s event, China secured its seventh Olympiad title by beating Vietnam 3-1; Kazakhstan took silver and India bronze.

Table des matières

A title decided in the final round

The suspense lasted right to the end. Facing Ukraine, Uzbekistan needed a solid result to hold on to first place. The decisive point came from Mukhiddin Madaminov, who beat Roman Dehtiarov, the reigning European champion, aged just 18. Final score: 2.5 to 1.5 for the home team, who finished the competition with 20 points out of a possible 22.

This new title confirms the trajectory begun in Chennai in 2022, where Uzbekistan had already surprised the chess world with a team that has remained largely unchanged since. Two Olympiads, two gold medals: the generation led by Abdusattorov is settling in for the long haul at the top.

India falls just short, Germany celebrates its return

Second-placed India finished on 18 points after a 2-2 draw against Hungary. Arjun Erigaisi’s win over Peter Leko was not enough to offset the defeat of world champion Gukesh Dommaraju against Gleb Dudin, who had won individual gold on board one in the two previous editions.

The real symbol of this Olympiad may well be found on the German side. With a 2.5-1.5 win over the Netherlands, Germany claimed its first Olympiad medal in twenty-six years, the previous one having come, according to Chess.com, with silver in Istanbul in 2000. The decisive point came from Matthias Bluebaum, who took advantage of a mistaken move by Jorden van Foreest in an otherwise tenable position to snatch victory.

Standout individual performances

According to Chess.com, Nodirbek Abdusattorov finished unbeaten with 8.5 points out of 11 and a performance of 2869, winning individual gold on board one in the open. “This is the proudest moment of my life. It has been a wonderful achievement for our team, for Uzbekistan. I am truly happy,” he said.

Frederik Svane, meanwhile, claimed gold on board three in the open for the second consecutive Olympiad, unbeaten with a performance of 2796. Two young players also stood out: 15-year-old Turkish player Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus took silver on board one and became the highest-rated player under 20 in the world, while 17-year-old Ukrainian Ihor Samunenkov won gold on board four, overtaking Gukesh in the final round.

China unstoppable in the women’s event

In the women’s tournament, China won 3-1 against Vietnam to claim its seventh Olympiad title, finishing with 20 points, even though several of its most accomplished players were absent. Zhu Jiner took individual gold on board one with a performance of 2638, becoming world number two on the live Elo rating.

Kazakhstan took silver, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament despite a 2-2 draw against Poland in the final round. India completed the podium thanks to a draw snatched at the last moment by Savitha Shri against Georgia, finishing level on points with four other teams but ahead of them on tiebreak. According to Chess.com, India also won the Gaprindashvili Cup for the third consecutive time, rewarding the best combined open and women’s performance.

Rank	Team	Points
1	Uzbekistan	20/22
2	India	18/22
3	Germany	18/22
4	United States	17/22
5	Azerbaijan / Armenia / Hungary	17/22

See you in two years for the next Olympiad, where Uzbekistan will try to defend their title against an India and a Germany determined to have their revenge. In the meantime, to replay the tournament’s games on a beautiful chess board, head to our collection of complete chess sets.

Sources

ChessBase — Clear win for China in Women's Chess Olympiad, while Kazakhstan and India complete the podium (2026-09-28)
ChessBase — Uzbekistan triumph on home soil, collect second Olympiad gold (2026-09-27)
Lichess — 2026 Samarkand Olympiad Rounds 10–11: Uzbekistan, China Win Open, Women’s (2026-09-27)
Chess.com — 🥇 Uzbekistan, China Both Win To Clinch Olympiad Gold (2026-09-27)