Uzbekistan, the host nation, are the favourites to win the 208-team biennial chess Olympiad in Samarkand, which has its opening ceremony on Tuesday, and its first round (of 11) on Wednesday.
The defending champions, India, China and the US are Uzbekistan’s most dangerous rivals. India would have been the open Olympiad favourites but for the shaky form of the world champion, the 20-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju, who was the top board gold medallist in Budapest two years ago but is likely to play lower down the order in Samarkand. USA are led by the world No 3, Fabiano Caruana, and the world No 5, Wesley So, but their lower boards, including the variable Hans Niemann, look more vulnerable.
