India concluded the 46th Chess Olympiad 2026 with a commendable performance, securing two medals in Samarkand.
On Sunday, both the men’s and women’s teams showcased their skills in the final round, resulting in a silver for the men and a bronze for the women.
The Indian men’s team played to a 2-2 draw against Hungary, finishing second overall. World champion D. Gukesh faced defeat against Hungary’s Gleb Dudin, while Arjun Erigaisi secured a vital point by defeating Peter Leko.
Host nation Uzbekistan clinched the gold medal in the open section by defeating Ukraine 2.5-1.5 in the last round. Mukhiddin Madaminov delivered the decisive victory for Uzbekistan, solidifying their position.
Uzbekistan won their second Chess Olympiad title, finishing two points ahead of India and Germany. India claimed the through tie-breaks, while Germany earned bronze by defeating the Netherlands 2.5-1.5, with Matthias Blübaum overcoming Jordan van Foreest.
The Indian women’s team also ended their tournament on a high note, drawing 2-2 against Georgia in their final match. Savita Shri played a crucial role, managing to draw her match against Georgia’s Meri Arabidze despite being in a challenging position. This result secured India a third-place finish and the bronze medal.
China triumphed in the women’s category, defeating Vietnam 3-1 in the last round to win gold. Kazakhstan drew 2-2 against Poland to take silver. China concluded the tournament with a two-point lead, marking their seventh women’s Chess Olympiad title.
India’s women’s team secured the bronze medal by outperforming teams from the USA, Poland, Armenia, and Mongolia in tie-breaks. The tournament ended on a high note for India, with both the open and women’s teams achieving a remarkable double podium finish, placing among the top three teams globally.