Uzbekistan, the host nation, won the open gold medals at the 2026 Olympiad, the biennial chess international team tournament, at Samarkand last week in the style of the legendary Soviet grandmasters of long ago. India, the defending champions, were second, Germany a surprise third, and the top-seeded United States fourth.
The hosts led almost from start to finish, with world No 5 Nodirbek Abdusattorov and the world title challenger Javokhir Sindarov their top-board powerhouses. The team recovered swiftly from a single defeat by Germany, and were particularly impressive in crushing Armenia by 3.5-0.5 in the penultimate round. The Uzbekistan government rewarded each of the five players with $200,000 (£178,000), a house and a Volkswagen, plus $50,000 for the coach Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
