Uzbekistan Wins Chess Olympiad; Erdogmus Is the Tournament's Biggest Sensation
Uzbekistan Wins the Chess Olympiad, but the Turkish Prodigy Became One of Its Biggest Stars
The 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand ended in triumph for the hosts. The Uzbekistan national team won the gold medal at the world’s premier team chess event for the second time in history, repeating its 2022 success. In the final round, Uzbekistan defeated Ukraine 2.5–1.5 to finish as the sole leader with 20 match points.
But while Uzbekistan’s victory was the main headline of the Olympiad, one of the tournament’s brightest revelations was 16-year-old Turkish grandmaster Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş. His performance became a story of its own — so impressive that the young player emerged as one of Samarkand’s standout individual performers.
Uzbekistan Back on Top
The home Olympiad was almost a perfect tournament for Uzbekistan.
The hosts won 10 of their 11 matches, losing only to Germany in the eighth round. Against Ukraine in the decisive final round, Uzbekistan only needed to maintain its advantage in the standings. Instead, the team chose not to play conservatively and secured another victory.
Uzbekistan finished with 20 match points, two points ahead of India and Germany. India took silver, while Germany claimed the bronze medal.
It was particularly fitting that the decisive victory in the final round came from Mukhiddin Madaminov. His game against Roman Dehtyarev provided the final piece of the hosts’ championship performance.
Uzbekistan once again showed that its 2022 triumph in Chennai was no fluke.
Abdusattorov — Olympic Champion and Best Player on Board One
Nodirbek Abdusattorov also deserves special attention.
The Uzbekistan team leader played all 11 rounds without suffering a single defeat, winning six games while helping his country secure the gold medal. He also finished first in the individual standings on board one.
His tournament performance rating was 2869, while second place in the individual standings went to the very player who became one of the biggest surprises of the Olympiad — Turkey’s Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş.
And that is where another story begins.
The Turkish Prodigy Who Made Everyone Take Notice
Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş arrived in Samarkand as one of the most promising young chess players in the world. But as the tournament progressed, it became clear that the prodigy had not come simply to gain experience.
Erdoğmuş kept producing strong results and quickly moved into contention at the top of the individual standings. After eight rounds, he had scored 6 points out of 7, while his tournament performance rating stood at an impressive 2893. At that stage, he was leading the Olympiad’s players by performance rating.
Erdoğmuş eventually finished the tournament with a 2839 performance rating and won the silver medal on board one. Only Abdusattorov finished ahead of him, with India’s R. Praggnanandhaa taking third place.
For a 16-year-old player, such a result at an event featuring virtually all of the world’s strongest national teams is particularly remarkable.
From Promising Junior to Genuine Elite Threat
The most striking part of Erdoğmuş’s performance was not simply his age.
At the Olympiad, he faced grandmasters of the highest level and produced results that can no longer be viewed merely as those of a talented junior.
Throughout the tournament, the Turkish player climbed the world rankings and, after his successful games, moved close to the world’s top 20 in the live ratings. His performance became one of the major individual storylines of the entire Olympiad.
In many ways, Samarkand showed that Erdoğmuş is gradually moving from the category of “promising junior” into that of a player who already deserves close attention in the elite chess cycle.
An Olympiad Full of Young Stars
Erdoğmuş was far from the only young player to make a major impression in Samarkand.
Uzbekistan itself built its championship team around a generation that, not long ago, was considered part of the future of world chess. Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov have already established themselves as world-class players, while Nodirbek Yakubboev also delivered an outstanding performance and won silver on board three.
Meanwhile, on the Women’s Olympiad side, 11-year-old British player Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest female grandmaster in history. Samarkand therefore became a tournament where several generations came together — established stars faced players who are only now beginning to shape the next era of the world chess elite.
Why Uzbekistan’s Victory Matters
The hosts’ success is significant for more than just the sporting result.
Uzbekistan won the Olympiad for the second time after its triumph in Chennai in 2022. This time, however, the team achieved it on home soil, in front of its own supporters.
After the tournament, national team captain Rustam Kasimdzhanov highlighted the scale of state support for chess in the country, the training opportunities available to the players, and the strong team atmosphere within the squad. According to him, one of the key factors behind the success was the ability of the players to prepare fully for the biggest competitions.
The result speaks for itself: 10 wins from 11 matches and a clear first place.
Samarkand Draws the Curtain — and Opens a New Chapter
The Chess Olympiad ended with Uzbekistan taking the gold medal. India won silver, while Germany claimed bronze.
But the biggest question now is not only who won the team competition.
Samarkand showed just how quickly the global chess landscape is changing. Uzbekistan has established itself among the leading chess nations, a new generation of Indian and Uzbek players continues to challenge the established stars, and 16-year-old Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş demonstrated that he is already capable of competing with the strongest players in the world.
That may be why his silver medal on board one feels almost like a victory of its own.
The Olympiad in Samarkand is over. But the story of the Turkish prodigy appears to be only just beginning.