~ The leading teams field their strongest line-ups as Samarkand delivers another fascinating day of chess.
"VAN" (Sports Desk - 18.09.2026) :: Round two of the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand brought many of the world’s leading players into action, as the top seeds largely decided that it was time to put their strongest line-ups on the board. With the first points already secured, the focus shifted to maintaining momentum, although several matches proved considerably more competitive than the ratings suggested.
From impressive debuts by established stars to a few unexpected results and some spectacular tactical finishes, there was plenty to keep the packed playing hall entertained.
Let’s take a closer look at the action from the playing hall.
Two ceremonial first moves were performed today.
On board one of the Open section match between the United States of America and Mongolia, Mohamed Al Mudahka, FIDE Technical Delegate and President of the Qatar Chess Federation, made the symbolic opening move 1.d4.
A few moments later, Komil Sindarov, Vice President of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, also opened with 1.d4 in the Women’s top-board encounter between Finland and India.
Although the second-round pairings were not expected to produce too many upsets, few teams were willing to rest their top players for a second consecutive day. As a result, spectators who flocked to the playing hall for the start of the round were treated to the debuts of some of the best players in the world.
The challenger to the upcoming World Championship match, Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, led his team to a convincing 3.5–0.5 victory over the young Peruvian squad.
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