SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan September 27, 2026 — China completed an unbeaten campaign to capture the women’s title at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad on Sunday, defeating Vietnam 3–1 in the final round as the curtain came down on 11 rounds of competition in Samarkand.
The Chinese team entered the final day with control of the title race and delivered when it mattered. Zhu Jiner and Lu Miaoyi supplied the decisive victories against Vietnam, while Song Yuxin and Zhai Mo secured draws to complete a comfortable 3–1 victory.
The result left China alone at the top of the standings with 20 match points from nine victories and two draws, sealing the country’s seventh Women’s Chess Olympiad title. Kazakhstan finished second with 18 points, while defending champions India claimed bronze on tiebreak after finishing among a group of teams on 17 points.
For China, the championship was also a showcase for a new generation.
Zhu, competing on the top board, closed her tournament by defeating Vietnam’s Pham Le Thao Nguyen. She finished unbeaten with seven points from nine games and earned the individual gold medal on board one.
Sixteen-year-old Lu was equally impressive. Her final-round victory over Luong Phuong Hanh took her tournament score to 9.5 points from 11 games without a defeat, earning another individual gold medal for China on board three.
Uzbekistan’s Medal Hopes End Against Armenia
For hosts Uzbekistan, however, the final round brought a difficult conclusion to an otherwise competitive home campaign.
Uzbekistan began the day with 15 match points and remained within a tightly packed group chasing the medal positions, but Armenia produced one of its strongest performances of the tournament to win 3–1.
Lilit Mkrtchian gave Armenia the advantage on the top board with victory over Afruza Khamdamova before Mariam Mkrtchyan defeated Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova on board two.
Uzbekistan steadied the match on the lower boards, where Umida Omonova drew with Elina Danielian and Guldona Karimova shared the point with Susanna Gaboyan, but there was no way back for the hosts.
The defeat left Uzbekistan with 15 match points and 13th place overall, ending the tournament with seven wins, one draw and three defeats.
Despite missing out on the medals, Uzbekistan produced several encouraging performances during the Olympiad. Khamdamova, the team’s top-board player, recorded a performance rating of 2470 and finished seventh in the individual board-one standings.
The Uzbek women had entered the competition seeded 13th, meaning their final position matched their starting ranking, although playing in front of a home crowd brought added expectations during an event in which they remained close to the leading group until the closing rounds.
Kazakhstan Take Silver, India Hold On for Bronze
Behind China, Kazakhstan secured the silver medal after a tense 2–2 draw against Poland.
Poland moved ahead when Aleksandra Maltsevskaya defeated Alua Nurman, but Elnaz Kaliakhmet responded by beating Alicja Sliwicka on board four. The remaining two games were drawn, allowing Kazakhstan to finish the tournament unbeaten with 18 match points.
India, meanwhile, drew 2–2 with Georgia and finished on 17 points alongside the United States, Poland, Armenia and Mongolia. India’s superior tiebreak score secured the bronze medal.
China’s championship completed a remarkable final day in Samarkand. While the hosts missed the women’s podium, Uzbekistan had major celebrations in the Open section, where the home team defeated Ukraine 2.5–1.5 to win the Olympiad title.
For the women’s competition, however, the final word belonged to China unbeaten across 11 rounds and champions once again on the biggest stage in international team chess.
