"VAN" (Sports Desk - 16.09.2026) :: Day 5 of the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities marked a special moment in Samarkand. While the competition entered its decisive phase, the Opening Ceremony of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad also took place today, meaning that the two Olympiads are now officially running alongside each other in the same host city.
Cuba entered the day as the sole leader, but Round 5 dramatically reshaped the standings. Victories for Poland and the Czech Republic left the two teams sharing first place with 9 match points and set up a direct clash between them in Round 6.
The ceremonial first move of Round 5 was made by Victor Bologan, FIDE Executive Director, before another important day of competition got underway.
Cuba brought to halt as two teams move to the top
The headline encounter of the round saw sole leader Cuba face top seed Poland in an extremely close match. Marcin Molenda drew Carlos Larduet Despaigne, Aleksander Czerwonski split the point with Hector Luis Fuentes De Feria, while the game between Julia Salamon and Idalis Batista Rivera produced the same result.
The decisive point came on Board 2, where Pawel Piekielny defeated Pedro Morales Romero, sealing a 2½–1½ victory for Poland and handing Cuba its first match defeat of the tournament.
The Czech Republic took full advantage of the opportunity against Israel. Three games ended in draws, but Anna Ryvova’s victory over Aleksandra Aleksandrova on Board 4 secured another 2½–1½ result propelling the Czech team into a shared lead.
Elsewhere in the leading group, the Philippines defeated Croatia 2½–1½, while IBCA overcame Germany by the same score. The USA beat Argentina 3–1, while Uzbekistan 1 prevailed over Serbia 2½–1½.
India scored a narrow 2½–1½ victory over IPCA; Ukraine defeated Belarus 3½–½, while Kazakhstan recorded the same score against Bangladesh.
After five rounds, Poland and the Czech Republic lead with 9 match points, closely followed by the Philippines, Cuba and IBCA on 8. USA, Uzbekistan 1 and India are next with 7 points each.
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