Uzbekistan Claims Second Olympiad Gold on Home Soil in Samarkand

Uzbekistan Dominates on Home Soil

Uzbekistan has crowned itself champion of the 46th Chess Olympiad, securing its second gold medal in the competition’s history. Playing before home crowds in Samarkand, the Central Asian nation finished its impressive tournament with a decisive victory over Ukraine in the final round, clinching the team title by a comfortable margin.

The Uzbek squad completed the competition with two points clear of their nearest rivals. India finished second on tiebreaks ahead of Germany, who both had strong showings to complete the top three.

Final Round Drama and Results

Uzbekistan entered the last round knowing that a match victory—their tenth of the event—would guarantee the gold medal regardless of results elsewhere. Although Ukraine presented a respectable challenge, having upset China just one day earlier and harboring outside hopes of their own medal run, the Uzbeks secured the necessary 2.5-1.5 triumph.

The contest between India and Hungary produced the only draw at the top tables, resulting in a 2-2 deadlock. Even a victory for India in that match would not have proven sufficient to overtake Uzbekistan’s final tally.

Individual Standout Performances

The championship featured several memorable individual performances. Young rising star GM Javokhir Sindarov earned his second Olympiad victory before reaching his twenty-first birthday. The accomplished player, who has also won a World Cup and advanced to the Candidates tournament, reflected on his achievement with visible emotion. Sindarov remarked that his next objective is to capture the world title—a feat he would need to accomplish by game eleven, given that his birthday falls on December 8, when round twelve concludes.

On the individual medal front, 17-year-old GM Ihor Samunenkov of Ukraine unexpectedly captured gold on the fourth board, narrowly edging out World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, who had an outstanding 2718 performance rating.

Madaminov’s Crucial Victory

GM Mukhiddin Madaminov emerged as the hero of Uzbekistan’s triumph, securing a hard-fought victory in a sharp encounter against 18-year-old European Champion Roman Dehtiarov. The match was intensely contested from the opening, with both players demonstrating aggressive intentions. Despite missing an opportunity to clinch victory earlier, Madaminov navigated the complications and ultimately prevailed in what was awarded the Game of the Day.

Notably, Madaminov was the sole Uzbek team member who had not previously won an Olympiad title, making his contribution particularly significant. Following the victory, he expressed his pride in representing his team: “We played this tournament very well, all players performed fantastic, so that’s why I’m very happy to be part of this team, and it’s not our last gold medal. We’ll try our best and we’ll achieve more and more results.”

Women’s Competition: China’s Dominant Display

In the Women’s section, China cruised to its seventh Olympic gold medal with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Vietnam in the final round. The triumph was particularly dominant, with GM Zhu Jiner and IM Lu Miaoyi both securing victories in their final matches, which also secured individual gold medals on their respective boards.

Kazakhstan earned silver medals following a 2-2 draw with Poland, while India claimed the bronze medal. IM Savitha Shri played a crucial role for India, rescuing a match draw by escaping a lost position against Georgia’s IM Meri Arabidze in a dramatic final-round encounter.

The competition for the final podium spot was particularly competitive, with the United States, Poland, Armenia, and Mongolia all finishing level on points with India. However, these nations missed out on the medals due to tiebreak calculations.