These 5 Uzbek boys who dominated Chess Olympiad 2026

Hello, hi everyone, hi guys, congratulations! I'm here with the Uzbek team that has won the gold. 2022, we had an interview. 4 years later, you guys are again the champions, this time in Uzbekistan. How are you feeling, guys?

We feel fantastic, very happy to win Olympiad gold medal in our country and very proud To be to become champion, you know, in your home country when everyone supports you. So we are very happy, really.

And this is a beautiful trophy that you guys have won. I want to start off this interview with your game, Jawahir, the queen sacrifice. I think it was maybe very beautiful. King f7 and then rook h3. What a game!

Yeah.

Against Austria.

Yeah.

Not Austria, it was against Peru.

Ah, Peru.

Yeah, game was interesting, but at the end, you know, suddenly just— I mean, choice between take some hour, like we discussed with Mookidin. Like any move is winning, any move is mate in like 9 or 10 moves, but King f7 is just making some hour. Like, I mean, I was thinking during game like maybe didn't play this move, but At the end, I decided like, okay, come on, let's play for some videos, for some content reels. Yeah, but I mean, like, it's easy move. I will not say it's something crazy.

And Nodirbek, you have 2 gold medals. You were incredible on board one, like, like a machine. You didn't lose a game. You won game after game. I mean, Brilliant play, yeah?

Yeah, I'm extremely happy, you know, to be part of this incredible team. These guys are just simply the best at their boards, you know, in general in chess, you know. They all belong to top 10. They play, you know, at the very highest level. I'm lucky that, you know, I have such strong teammates. I'm proud that you know with the boys, with everyone. Yeah, I did my job in the first board, played very safe at times, and I won some games also. Yeah, I'm in general I worked very hard before this tournament to not let down the team, and I'm very I'm very happy that I succeeded.

Yakubov Nodirbek, you. You were like this guy who would win so many critical games. In fact, Turkey, you scored the win.

Yeah.

Again, India, you scored the win.

Uh, yeah, this time I had this role, let's say, winning important games, but the other teammates also performed very, very well. Yeah, and it was not a— it was not a planned thing. I mean, it was not a planned situation, but, but yeah, but somehow I finished last and I somehow could win. Yeah, but I'm happy to— I was happy to get a point for our team. Yeah, this time I had this role.

Tell us about this game with Nihal, this g takes h4, this knight e6, gh4. What a moment that was. I think Maybe the most important moment of the Olympiad, you would say?

I think so, because that match against India was, I think, the most important for us because it decided the whole standings, like After after that match, we could really fight for them for a medal. But if if if if we lost that game that match, I think we would not try to win this medal. Yeah, that was important. And yeah, and he missed this knight e6 check. I had— I have seen it. Yeah, I saw it before when he took on g5. But yeah, and also I saw also king g7, which is winning move. And yeah.

You saw king takes g5?

Yeah, when he took on g5, I felt a bit, you know, happy myself. And then I played g3, and it's already some complicated game. I'm not worse, I'm in a game. So yeah, King g7, that was the decisive moment for our team. Yeah.

He was not only only person that was happy after King G five. We're all watching this game like crazy. We went crazy, absolutely crazy after Knight E six. You know, our chat was like screaming every.

Yeah.

Were you guys in live live commentary or were you guys just watching it privately?

Ah, in Leeches.

Oh, in Leeches privately.

Yes.

Amazing. And Samshidin, Wokidov, you played this move B five with Gukesh in the opening. And that was, I think, an incredible hold with the black pieces. I think very important game. You gave him no chance.

Yeah, I know the lines. It was preparation. I saw like 1-2 months ago. Not during the preparation day.

Before?

Yeah, yeah, preparation day before. I just remember, and b5, after, I know after b5, it's easy to equalize. Yeah, yeah, and we are all happy to win. We win all important matches like USA, India, and China.

It's—

we are all happy.

Amazing.

Thank you.

Mukhitdin, I have to tell you, the last round that you played was so good. And also one more victory you did yesterday, I think, with d5 and h5.

Yeah.

That was just insane. How, how did you find those moves?

Yeah, in general, I am very happy. And so, so in general, I didn't have such a big pressure in the team. So since I have very strong team, you can see, and I just tried to play just simple chess. And if I will get some chance, I will try to use them. So When when I was playing yesterday against Argisian Gabriel, like after the opening, I feel I felt that my position is slightly better, but I started to push and at some moment it was close to equal. But then he missed it and blundered Queen b7. I played Bishop b5, and after Knight d8, I just felt that. Knight on d8 is very bad, and queen is in the z-side, and king is weak. So that's why I pushed d5, and after e takes d5, h5. So I felt that king is in trouble, so that's why I used this.

Amazing, amazing. And Nodirbek Javokhiev spoke about this aura moment. I think you playing e4 d5 was one such aura moment. Yeah, it was such a nice— I think there is a nice reel where you play it, then everyone smiles, and then you also smile.

Yeah, no, because I told them just before the game, I told them like 20 minutes before the game that I will play d5, and everyone went like crazy. Like, they first, they didn't believe that I will play d5, and then when they saw it But we discussed it in team meeting. Yeah, we discussed in team meeting briefly, briefly. I had some options to play like c5 or Caro-Kann or Scandinavian, but I said that I will, I'll like decide myself. And, but yeah, in the preparation I saw that he has no, no practice at all in the Scandinavian, so I tried it with him and it worked. And you know, the whole idea was inspired by Arjun. As I said, that he played it last in last round.

Last round of twenty four. Yes.

So and he won nice game. And so I also you know tried to steal his aura.

And Javokir, you played knight f three and b three, and such good preparation in it. I think you were prepared till move 20 or something.

Yeah, but do you think it's such a good preparation? At the end it was like just equal, but my opponent somehow playing really bad game, bad game in this match, uh, and, and I got lucky that like he started giving me like first pawns and second pawn, and I, I won all of his pawns and just won a game which I didn't expect. So So, I will say, like, in general, I was really, like, shocked in this game how my opponent played. I mean, in general, Robert was so, I mean, so solid player, but in this game, somehow, he really played, like, I will say, bad, which surprised me. But it was good preparation, like, I mean, sometimes you need to be lucky, like, to win this tournament.

Today with Ivanchuk also was a tough game, yeah?

Yeah, very tough game. Very tough game.

One moment you thought for 40 minutes and played knight Knight a5.

Yeah, I just trying to remember the line because like I saw it like, I mean, uh, before tournament somewhere. I remember I saw it like I was checking this line and because I played some blitz games here and then like somehow I forgot the line and start trying to remember the, I mean, best equalization move and I forgot and this was like, I mean, Very unhappy moment. Like, I tried to remember 40 minutes, but then I didn't find it. I played some move like for myself, and it was really not a good move. Then he took some advantage, but I managed to play draw, which, which really makes team happy, and we won. Like, you know, I mean, when I played draw, I understand like we will win this game like easily.

Amazing. And guys, Whenever you would win, there used to be so much celebration. So it was very heartwarming to see someone care for chess so much. Like there would be hugs, there would be people, you know, feeling so much of energy. Was there pressure on all of you playing in hometown? Like, you know, in Uzbekistan, so many eyes on you. I think the Prime Minister of the country also was visiting. You know, he's also the president of the Uzbek. Chess Federation. Was there pressure or was there only like, we have to do it?

I think, can I, for me, I think for me in the beginning of tournament it was very hard as I told about before because it was so much pressure for me in the first 2 rounds, but after that I just, I started playing and so My my self-confidence became better. So then it was like yeah, we believed in ourselves. So and also it was important match against India. So after that match, I think we really believed that we are gonna win.

Amazing.

Nodirbek, did you feel any pressure?

I can could say we we I felt a little bit pressure because you know we played in you know our own country you know it's always a little bit difficult to play also you know we know that how India played in Chennai they were very close but at some critical moments, they made a mistake and they were nervous and they couldn't win the whole thing. This time, I think, you know, we showed our absolute best. You know, everyone played, I mean, amazing chess, and we spent a lot of time together before the event, and I think we were in a good physical shape and also in a good You know, in good form. Yeah, I think it was important that we, we prepared ourselves for that pressure and for that kind of environment when there will be like huge amount of crowd watching our games every day and rooting for us. It was, you know, unbelievable tournament, incomparable with any other events that we played so far. And we we are extremely happy that we we managed to you know bring this trophy to to our country back after after Chennai. And yeah, I think with with this you know with this kind of team, I think we'll we'll have many more victories to come.

Thank you, Shamshidin. You guys each have won two hundred thousand dollars if I'm not mistaken. I saw that, and and also the president has written such a beautiful message praising each one of you. Also, Jakongir, he has written about him. How does it feel?

Yeah, I feel happy, you know, because our president is.

Where?

Ah yeah, our president is supporting chess.

Taking care of us.

Yeah, taking care of us. It's yeah.

Beautiful.

And Nodirbek. Few words about Rustam, coach of the team. I think he was always there even when you guys would win. At one point you won, he hugged you. I've never seen him with so many emotions.

I mentioned it that he is our hero because we grew up watching his achievements, his games. And yeah, if it's not him, maybe someone would not play chess. Yeah, so yeah, he is— it's always nice to have a captain. your own captain. I mean, not from another country. So yeah, kind of your person, your man.

Yeah.

And he knows us very well. And yeah, he knows our character, our how do we feel ourselves during the game, how we think during the game. So yeah, it was really nice to have him as a captain. And I would also thank my other coaches. Like, we are working with Roman Vidoniak more than one year, and my second, I don't want to say his name, but yeah, I'm really happy to have them in my own team. So yeah, thank you.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank, any of you?

I mean, of course, like, yeah, I want to say many thanks to everyone— parents, Mr. President, Sadulaev, Alisher Zafarevich, you know, there are many persons. And also my coach Roman, he's coach as well, he's coach as well. So So I mean, of course, like I mean, because of a lot of persons, we become strong players. So I want to say thanks for all the fans who support us every day, and thanks for government for making this such a grateful event. And you know, we enjoy it really. This is Olympiad. I mean, of course, like, because we are playing home country, for us it was best Olympiad which we played and we really loved. And hopefully, I mean, like, with this team I will try to play in any other tournaments for gold medal always. So I will give mic to Abhisator.

Yeah, I would also want to mention my, my coach, my seconds. Unfortunately, I cannot reveal as well. Yeah, I have, you know, I have people working for me and behind the scenes, you know. I would like to thank them. You know, we had— we have spent a lot of time together before this event. And yeah, you know, each has his own Part for for for that in I mean in this success and yeah I would like I would like to thank our government, our president, our prime minister for for making it all possible for for conditions that they provided and for for everything for for you know for organizing for hosting such a beautiful event and I hope that everyone enjoyed the The summer camp and we you know we are always welcome to to any other country or to any other chess fans. You know we we we just enjoy having them.

Thank you.

We enjoyed it a lot here in in Uzbekistan, and I have one last thing to ask you. You guys are such an amazing team. So if you can say one Good quality or one quality about the person next to you that you like a lot. So, Mukhit Din, you have to say about Javakir. Javakir about Nodirbek. Nodirbek about you, and so on.

Javakir, anti-motivator.

What is that? Anti-motivator.

It's It's the person who is like— Always killing your motivation. Yeah, it's the person who kills your motivation.

Yeah, Antonio of Motivator.

Why do you do that? Why do you kill the motivation?

I give like, I give him motivation which he thinks it's killing motivation. So like, I mean, the best motivation when you're Start like bullying your teammate or or your brother. I mean, he's not just teammate; he's my second and my brother. We spend time all together, and I I like to boo him sometimes, bullying him sometimes. So that's why he said.

Okay, so I will say about Nodirbek, like one quality leader. Um, you know, um, my my teammate Nodirbek Yakubov. I mean, he's Amazing player, incredible talent. You know, he has many qualities. I mean, at this point, you know, he belongs to top 10 already. If I have to mention one quality, his fighting spirit and willingness to win.

Wow, thank you very much. I cannot say.

Let's you have to say about.

Let's ask some some some word in in English like. كم جاء هنا ميدى؟ كم جاء؟ Silent guy. Yeah. Yeah. Shamsuddin is you know silent killer.

Silent killer.

Silent killer. He doesn't speak a lot, but he when he When you, yeah, when he says something, let's say if he says some lines in some openings, we always believe him because when he speaks, he's 100% sure.

Wow, wow. He's only the man we can trust anywhere.

Wow.

Yeah, he speaks when he is 100% sure. So yeah, we don't argue with him. Yeah, so silent guy, silent killer.

Yes, amazing. Shamshiddin about Mukiddin. Ah.

He's good boy.

Good boy.

It's facts.

We would say, we would say he is energetic.

Yeah, energetic.

It's done.

He has thank you so much for being with in Uzbekistan and see you next tournament. See you in Geneva.

We really so tired and like everything we need to take Please take rest and thank you so much.

Thank you.

Have a nice fight.

Bye.