Following a dramatic 10th round of the Olympiad—currently being hosted in Samarkand—Uzbekistan has solidified its lead with 18 points, while the teams from India, Ukraine, Germany, and Hungary remain in contention for medals. 

Yesterday, on the first board, Nodirbek Abdusattorov’s hard-fought victory in a long-drawn-out endgame secured an impressive 3.5–0.5 win for Uzbekistan.

This puts our team in the most favorable position for today’s battle for the gold medal. It is worth noting that Nodirbek is playing the best chess of his career; he remains undefeated, having scored 8 points out of a possible 10. In the other key match of the round, India faced the “Uzbekistan-2” team—the tournament's breakout sensation—and secured a 3.5–0.5 victory, proving they remain a serious contender heading into the final round. India currently sits in second place with 17 points. Germany, Ukraine, and Hungary also in the hunt for medals. After defeating France 3–1, Germany kept its chances for a medal alive heading into the final round; with 16 points, the team currently sits in 3rd place in the standings. Ukraine also kept its medal hopes alive by defeating China. China entered this round in a unique position within the medal race. They simply needed to avoid defeat against Ukraine—a team that had fought its way back into contention by winning its previous three matches—to secure their standing. However, that did not happen. As a result, Ukraine reached 16 points and climbed to 4th place. Hungary also recorded a 3–1 victory, this time against Spain, and will continue to compete for a medal in the final round, holding 16 points and sitting in fifth place.

China leads; our representatives in 7th place

In the women’s section, China maintained its lead after drawing with India, placing them first with 18 points. Kazakhstan follows in second place with 17 points, while India, Poland, and Vietnam—each with 16 points—occupy the subsequent positions. The Uzbekistan women's national team currently sits in seventh place in the tournament with 15 points. Today is a historic day, as the matches that will decide the championship take place. We wish our chess players the best of luck. Our opponents are confirmed, and the matches begin at 11:00.

46th World Chess Olympiad, Round 11.

Open section:

Uzbekistan — Ukraine

China — Uzbekistan 2

Andorra — Uzbekistan 3

Women's section:

Armenia — Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan 2 — Israel

Uzbekistan 3 — South Africa