"We have the best team in the world right now." What Uzbekistan's chess players said after winning the Olympiad

"We have the best team in the world right now." What Uzbekistan's chess players said after winning the Olympiad

Following the team's triumph at the World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan's team captain Rustam Kasimdzhanov said that one of the key factors of success was the support for chess in the country, as well as the atmosphere within the team and the meticulous preparation of all tournament details.

At the press conference after winning their second Olympic gold, Javokhir Sindarov stated he was proud to represent Uzbekistan, Nodirbek Abdusattorov called the national team "the best team in the world right now," and Mukhiddin Madaminov shared how the support of his teammates helped him cope with anxiety at his first Olympiad.

The first question to Rustam Kasimdzhanov concerned the "secret" of the national team, which he had previously promised to reveal only after winning the Olympiad.

"I think we have many secrets. There is no single secret. The most important thing is how much attention is paid to chess in our country. You can see it for yourselves, it is something special," he said.

According to the captain, during the preparation, the team was provided with every opportunity for training and participating in competitions.

"This is probably our biggest difference from other countries. The attention we receive in this country from the highest levels of government, from the President himself, from the Prime Minister, is unprecedented. I am sure there is no other country like this in the world," Kasimdzhanov noted.

He named the team's roster as the second advantage.

"Before you are not just the best chess players of this country, they are also among the best chess players in the world. And we work amazingly as a team. We have a rather rare thing — the team players genuinely like each other. This is far from being the case in every national team. We are together, we are friends, and that helps."

Kasimdzhanov emphasized that the organizers of the preparation tried to take absolutely all details into account.

"We did everything that could possibly be done. We left nothing to chance. We paid attention to absolutely everything: food, hotel, seconds, coaches. Given how important this tournament is, we thought through every little detail."

He called hosting the Olympiad at home "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"We couldn't leave anything to chance. That is our secret: we think about everything and do everything. And well, we have the best team in the world. That also helps," the captain added.

Mukhiddin Madaminov was the only player on the current team who did not participate in the victorious 2022 Olympiad. In Samarkand, he played in the Olympiad for the first time and, in the final round, brought the team the decisive point in the match against Ukraine.

"I am very happy to be part of this team. We have very strong, elite players. Nodirbek [Abdusattorov] and Javokhir [Sindarov] are very strong chess players," Madaminov said.

He shared the words he heard from Kasimdzhanov during the tournament. "During the tournament, the captain told me: 'Don't worry and don't be afraid, because you have Nodirbek and Javokhir on your team. So just play chess.' These words and this kind of support really help us."

Madaminov admitted he was especially glad to win his first Olympiad specifically at home.

"Today was a completely crazy and very tense match. I am very glad that I won and was able to be one of the strong players of this team."

Javokhir Sindarov (whose performances and preparation are supported by the National Bank of Uzbekistan) was asked why Uzbekistan has produced several world-class chess players at once in recent years.

According to him, after winning the 2022 Olympiad, the attitude towards chess in the country changed noticeably. "It has become a very big sport, and our government, the president, support chess very well," Sindarov said.

He attributed the emergence of a strong generation primarily to the conditions created for the players.

"When you have support like we do in Uzbekistan, I think in any other country you would see many Nodirbeks, many players like me. That is probably the main thing — the state really supports us very well."

Sindarov also noted the fans. "You see all these fans — they support us every day. This shows how much people in our country really love chess. I am truly proud to be Uzbek and to play for this country."

He expressed hope that the current gold would not be the last.

"I hope in the coming years we will win not just one, but many Olympiads. At this tournament, we really showed a very high level. Everyone played well, so I am happy with this result."

When asked about his future goals, Sindarov declared his desire to become world champion.

"Of course, I can say that we have achieved a lot both as a team and individually. In recent years, we have been winning many tournaments. Of course, the new goal is the world crown," he stated.

According to Sindarov, he would also like to see his teammates even higher in the world rankings.

"I think we all want Nodirbek [Yakubboev], Mukhiddin [Madaminov], Shamsiddin [Vokhidov] to reach the 2700 level as soon as possible, Nodirbek to reach 2750, so that we are all in the world's top 15–20 and continue to raise the prestige of Uzbekistan at the Olympiads in the coming years and give everything for our country."

Nodirbek Abdusattorov was asked how his responsibility had changed since the 2022 Olympiad, when he was also the team leader.

"My responsibility was only one thing — to lead the team, play on my board, and motivate the rest of the guys," he replied.

Abdusattorov spoke highly of his teammates' level. "We have a wonderful team. I think I can confidently say that we have the best team in the world right now. I think even without me, the team would have performed well, but I am incredibly happy and proud to lead it and be a part of it," he said.

According to him, any player in the current lineup is capable of rising into the world's top ten.

"My responsibility hasn't changed at all. I tried to give my all in every game. I'm glad I played well and didn't lose a single game in this tournament. I am incredibly grateful for everything we have already achieved together with the guys. I think there are many, many victories ahead," Abdusattorov added.

Nodirbek Yakubboev was asked about the difference between winning the Olympiads in 2022 and 2026.

"In 2022, we were not considered favorites. We were the surprise of the tournament and won it unexpectedly. This time, we arrived already as one of the main favorites," he replied.

According to him, what changed most was the opponents' preparation for matches against Uzbekistan.

"Last time, perhaps, opponents underestimated us, they might have thought: we'll win anyway. But this time, every team fielded their strongest players against us and used all of their strongest weapons," the grandmaster stated.

At the same time, the experience of the two previous Olympiads helped the team cope with their new status.

"We gained experience in 2022, then in 2024, and I think we approached this Olympiad in the best possible shape. Except for the match against Germany, all our matches went the way we wanted and expected," Yakubboev said.

"I am very happy to be part of this team. I think our national team will prove its level for many years to come and, I hope, will be able to become one of the pillars of world chess," the chess player added.

When asked by a journalist who the "hero" of the championship team was, Yakubboev named the captain.

"Our hero is our captain Rustam aka Kasimdzhanov," he said, after which the fans began chanting Kasimdzhanov's name.

The chess player then added: "I think all the players performed very well. Many of us received medals on our boards. Therefore, I think we are all heroes," he stated.

At the end of the press conference, Shamsiddin Vokhidov called the second Olympic gold a great achievement for the country.

"This victory is a very big achievement for us. Becoming Olympic champions for the second time is a very serious result. All the guys played very well, we won many important matches," he said.

He separately thanked the fans and the people of the country for their support.

The press conference ended with chants of "Uzbekistan! Uzbekistan!" and applause for the champions.

In the final, 11th round of the Olympiad, Uzbekistan defeated Ukraine with a score of 2.5:1.5 and finished the tournament in first place. The team secured the championship even before the end of their match, following India's 2:2 draw with Hungary. For Uzbekistan, this is their second Olympic gold: the national team first won the tournament in 2022 in Chennai, and in 2024 won bronze in Budapest.