Chess Olympiad 2026 Round 8: Germany Hand Uzbekistan First Defeat

Germany beat hosts Uzbekistan 2.5-1.5 in round 8 of the Chess Olympiad 2026, while India drew with Azerbaijan and India's women held Kazakhstan.

Round 8 of the 46th Chess Olympiad brought the biggest upset so far. Germany beat hosts Uzbekistan 2.5-1.5, ending their perfect run.

The Svane brothers were the heroes for Germany. Frederik Svane beat Nodirbek Yakubboev in just 29 moves, and Rasmus Svane won with Black against Shamsiddin Vokhidov. Javokhir Sindarov won for Uzbekistan against Matthias Bluebaum, but it was not enough. Germany are now level with Uzbekistan at the top on 14 match points.

India's open team drew 2-2 with Azerbaijan. All four games were drawn, including Praggnanandhaa R against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Gukesh D against Mahammad Muradli. India stay in contention with 13 match points, in a big group one point behind the leaders that also includes China, the United States, France, Azerbaijan, the Netherlands and Armenia.

The United States beat Serbia 3.5-0.5, with Fabiano Caruana, Hans Niemann and Awonder Liang all winning. Uzbekistan's second team also beat England 2.5-1.5.

In the women's section, India drew 2-2 with Kazakhstan, one of the leading teams. Savitha Shri B won yet again, beating Elnaz Kaliakhmet for her seventh win in seven games. Alua Nurman beat Vaishali to level the match. China beat Georgia 2.5-1.5 and lead the women's event alone on 15 match points.

Germany's win shows the power of team depth. Uzbekistan's top players have been excellent, but Germany won the match on the lower boards. A chess team is only as strong as all of its players together, which is why every board matters.

Savitha Shri B's perfect score deserves special praise. Winning seven games in a row at an Olympiad is extremely rare. Her results show what calm, consistent play can achieve, even against strong opposition.

Three rounds remain, and the race for medals in both sections is wide open.