Germany ended Uzbekistan’s streak of 7/7 match wins in round eight of the 46th Chess Olympiad 2026, winning their encounter 2.5-1.5. As in the previous round, the brothers GM Frederik Svane and GM Rasmus Svane scored points on the bottom two boards, against GMs Nodirbek Yakubboev and Shamsiddin Vokhidov—overcoming the one loss on board two in GM Javokhir Sindarov vs. GM Matthias Bluebaum. Uzbekistan and Germany share the lead on 14/16, with eight countries a point behind.
China has taken the sole lead in the 2026 FIDE Women’s Chess Olympiad after WGM Zhai Mo found a dramatic checkmating attack against IM Lela Javakhishvili. Kazakhstan looked set to join China when IM Alua Nurman beat GM Vaishali Rameshbabu, but Indian hero IM Savitha Shri moved to 7/7 by winning a drawish endgame against WIM Elnaz Kaliakhmet to rescue a 2-2 draw. The U.S. lost 2.5-1.5 to Armenia, who are joined just a point behind China by Mongolia and Kazakhstan.
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Round nine is on Friday, September 24, starting at 6:15 a.m. ET / 12:15 CEST / 3:45 p.m. IST.
Open: Germany Stops Uzbekistan
Germany won the most important match of the day against the juggernaut Uzbekistan.
Round 8 Results | Open Top 10
The tournament is wide open with 10 teams within a point of the lead, with three rounds to go.
Open Standings After Round 8: Top 10
GM Rafael Leitao analyzes the Game of the Day below.
Women: China Grabs Sole Lead As Savitha Saves India With 7/7
It was incredibly tight at the top in round eight, with almost all matches decided by a single game.
China has taken the sole lead, with only six teams now within two points.
Women’s Standings After Round 8: Top 17
Colin McGourty contributed to this report.
The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad is a massive team event for national federations that takes place every two years. In 2026 it’s being held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with 11 rounds that run September 16-27. In Open and Women’s sections, teams of five players compete in a Swiss system, with each match played over four boards. There are two match points for a win and one for a draw, with board points taken into account only if teams are tied. Players have 90 minutes per game, plus 30 minutes from move 40, with a 30-second increment per move.
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