Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with the winners of the World Chess Olympiad

Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with the winners of the World Chess Olympiad

Tashkent, September 29, 2026. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with the players of the national chess and para-chess teams, as well as with their relatives. The head of state congratulated the athletes on their historic success at the 46th World Chess Olympiad, which took place in Samarkand.

"The title of two-time Olympic champions is a high and honorable award for all of us, for the entire people of Uzbekistan," the president noted.

The head of state emphasized that the Samarkand Olympiad was not just a sports tournament. It was attended by about 2,000 chess players from more than 200 countries, including the strongest grandmasters and reigning champions.

According to the president, the victory was of particular significance because it was achieved in Uzbekistan and in front of the fans. During the Olympiad, Samarkand was visited by more than 60,000 guests, another 500,000 fans followed the competitions in fan zones, and millions of compatriots watched the games on television and the internet.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that he himself followed the decisive games of the tournament with great interest. He paid special attention to the match of the Uzbekistan national team against the reigning Olympic champion — the team of India.

The head of state noted the game of Nodirbek Yakubboev against Nihal Sarin, emphasizing that the chess player managed to turn the tide of a difficult encounter thanks to tactical decisions and bring the team a crucial victory.

After the success in the match against India, the Uzbekistan national team became the sole leader. Then the team beat China with a score of 3:1, and also won a victory over the US team — the leader of the world ranking and a six-time Olympic champion.

Separately, the president highlighted the performance of Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who went through the entire tournament undefeated and won a gold medal on the first board. His victory over American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana in a difficult endgame was also noted.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev also addressed Javokhir Sindarov, recalling his historic victory in the Candidates Tournament, which the country celebrated a few months ago.

The president noted his endurance and stable play at the Olympiad and wished him success in the upcoming struggle for the world chess crown.

"Today, behind your back are not only your teammates and mentors, but also almost 40 million residents of Uzbekistan. We believe in you!" said the head of state.

The president also noted the contribution of Mukhiddin Madaminov, who in his first Olympic tournament on the decisive day played with the black pieces to defeat Ukrainian Roman Dekhtyarev and bring the team the point necessary for the gold medal.

Separately noted was the play of Shamsiddin Vokhidov, who with the black pieces fought on equal terms with the reigning world champion Gukesh.

The head of state emphasized that every member of the team contributed to the gold won.

In conclusion, Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed confidence that books will be written and films will be made about the successes of Uzbek chess players, and their games and playing style will be included in educational materials.