USA Top Seed Without Nakamura As India Prepares Olympiad Double-Gold Defense

USA Top Seed Without Nakamura As India Prepares Olympiad Double-Gold Defense

The USA is again missing GM Hikaru Nakamura for the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad, but with GMs Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, and Hans Niemann, it remains the top-ranked team in the Open section. Defending champion India, host nation Uzbekistan, and 2018 winner China follow close behind in what looks like a four-horse race. India is also the favorite in the Women's section, while China's omission of their stars is the biggest surprise.

The biennial Chess Olympiad, which takes place this year in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 16-27, is one of the biggest and most celebrated tournaments on the chess calendar. The lineups for 2026 have just been released and show 208 teams registered for the Open section, an increase of 13 compared to 2024. In the Women's section, there are 192 teams, making a total of 400 teams—20 more than in Budapest.

Among the 1971 players competing in the two tournaments, 233 are GMs, and 214 are IMs. The board order is not yet finalized and could still change until the very start of the event.

After going through the team lists, we have collected nine talking points.

Top 20 Open Teams: 2026 FIDE Chess Olympiad

FED Title Team Rating 1. United States (2751) Captain: John Donaldson GM Fabiano Caruana 2792 GM Wesley So 2765 GM Hans Niemann 2725 GM Levon Aronian 2721 GM Awonder Liang 2690 2. India (2733) Captain: Srinath Narayanan GM Arjun Erigaisi 2759 GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu 2750 GM Nihal Sarin 2718 GM Gukesh Dommaraju 2703 GM Vidit Gujrathi 2697 3. Uzbekistan (2720) Captain: Rustam Kasimdzhanov GM Javokhir Sindarov 2777 GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov 2762 GM Nodirbek Yakubboev 2685 GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov 2655 GM Mukhiddin Madaminov 2611 4. China (2706) Captain: Yang Wen GM Wei Yi 2752 GM Ding Liren 2733 GM Yu Yangyi 2710 GM Xu Xiangyu 2629 GM Kong Xiangrui 2549 5. Germany (2686) Captain: Jan Gustafsson GM Vincent Keymer 2767 GM Matthias Bluebaum 2689 GM Frederik Svane 2655 GM Alexander Donchenko 2633 GM Rasmus Svane 2618 6. Netherlands (2683) Captain: Jan Smeets GM Anish Giri 2764 GM Jorden van Foreest 2728 GM Loek van Wely 2643 GM Erwin l'Ami 2598 GM Casper Schoppen 2582 7. Azerbaijan (2665) Captain: Teimour Radjabov GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 2723 GM Aydin Suleymanli 2668 GM Rauf Mamedov 2639 GM Mahammad Muradli 2630 GM Eltaj Safarli 2624 8. Hungary (2658) Captain: Csaba Balogh GM Richard Rapport 2729 GM Peter Leko 2676 GM Benjamin Gledura 2628 GM Tamas Banusz 2598 GM Gleb Dudin 2573 9. Armenia (2639) Captain: Arman Pashikian GM Haik Martirosyan 2662 GM Shant Sargsyan 2643 GM Robert Hovhannisyan 2642 GM Gabriel Sargissian 2610 GM Manuel Petrosyan 2574 10. France (2639) Captain: Sebastien Maze GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 2713 GM Etienne Bacrot 2619 GM Marc'Andria Maurizzi 2619 GM Maxime Lagarde 2604 GM Jules Moussard 2602 11. Ukraine (2638) Captain: Alexander G Beliavsky GM Igor Kovalenko 2669 GM Vasyl Ivanchuk 2634 GM Ruslan Ponomariov 2632 GM Ihor Samunenkov 2616 GM Anton Korobov 2609 12. Spain (2624) Captain: Jordi Magem Badals GM David Anton Guijarro 2641 GM Maksim Chigaev 2635 GM Jaime Santos Latasa 2620 GM Alexei Shirov 2601 GM Daniil Yuffa 2562 13. England (2623) Captain: William N Watson GM Nikita Vitiugov 2666 GM Gawain Jones 2633 GM Luke McShane 2597 GM Michael Adams 2595 GM Daniel Fernandez 2530 14. Poland (2621) Captain: Kamil Miton GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda 2743 GM Szymon Gumularz 2625 GM Jan Malek 2573 GM Jakub Seemann 2543 GM Jakub Kosakowski 2540 15. Turkiye (2619) Captain: Ivan Cheparinov GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus 2716 GM Ediz Gurel 2643 GM Isik Can 2573 GM Vahap Sanal 2542 GM Emre Can 2526 16. Serbia (2617) Captain: Ivan Ivanisevic GM Alexey Sarana 2666 GM Aleksandar Indjic 2602 GM Velimir Ivic 2600 GM Alexandr Predke 2598 GM Bojan Maksimovic 2537 17. Croatia (2591) Captain: Zdenko Kozul GM Ivan Saric 2623 GM Ante Brkic 2610 GM Leon Livaic 2567 GM Marin Bosiocic 2563 GM Sasa Martinovic 2553 18. Czech Republic (2590) Captain: Petr Boleslav GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen 2633 GM David Navara 2619 IM Vaclav Finek 2597 IM Jan Vykouk 2511 IM Jachym Nemec 2472 19. Greece (2584) Captain: Ioannis Nikolaidis GM Nikolas Theodorou 2633 GM Ioannis Papaioannou 2608 GM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis 2562 GM Dimitris Alexakis 2534 GM Dimitrios Mastrovasilis 2525 20. Iran (2583) Captain: Saeid Pirmaleki GM Amin Tabatabaei 2726 GM Bardiya Daneshvar 2572 GM Mahdi Gholami Orimi 2549 IM Reza Mahdavi 2485 IM Arash Daghli 2444

Full team list at Chess-Results

Top 20 Women's Teams: 2026 FIDE Chess Olympiad

FED Title Team Rating 1. India (2476) Captain: Swayams Mishra GM Koneru Humpy 2524 GM Divya Deshmukh 2490 GM Vaishali Rameshbabu 2489 IM Vantika Agrawal 2399 IM Savitha Shri 2375 2. Georgia (2449) Captain: Salome Melia GM Nana Dzagnidze 2478 GM Nino Batsiashvili 2459 IM Lela Javakhishvili 2430 GM Bella Khotenashvili 2428 IM Meri Arabidze 2371 3. China (2432) Captain: Zhang Zhong GM Zhu Jiner 2550 IM Song Yuxin 2452 IM Lu Miaoyi 2388 WIM Yan Tianqi 2338 WGM Zhai Mo 2336 4. Kazakhstan (2421) Captain: Pavel Kotsur GM Bibisara Assaubayeva 2538 IM Alua Nurman 2442 IM Meruert Kamalidenova 2400 WIM Elnaz Kaliakhmet 2304 WIM Zarina Nurgaliyeva 2302 5. United States (2413) Captain: Melikset Khachiyan IM Carissa Yip 2459 IM Alice Lee 2430 GM Irina Krush 2398 IM Tatev Abrahamyan 2365 FM Rose Atwell 2342 6. Ukraine (2398) Captain: Michail Brodsky WFM Anastasiia Hnatyshyn 2465 GM Anna Ushenina 2414 IM Nataliya Buksa 2393 WGM Anastasiya Rakhmangulova 2321 Tetyana Skarbarchuk 2240 7. Azerbaijan (2385) Captain: Nijat Abasov IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva 2440 WGM Govhar Beydullayeva 2392 IM Khanim Balajayeva 2356 IM Gunay Mammadzada 2351 IM Gulnar Mammadova 2309 8. Poland (2376) Captain: Marcin Dziuba IM Klaudia Kulon 2395 IM Oliwia Kiolbasa 2391 GM Monika Socko 2365 IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya 2352 WGM Alicja Sliwicka 2304 9. France (2373) Captain: Silvia Alexieva GM Marie Sebag 2417 IM Deimante Daulyte-Cornette 2402 IM Sophie Milliet 2347 IM Pauline Guichard 2324 WIM Manon Schippke 2251 10. Germany (2368) Captain: Zahar Efimenko GM Elisabeth Paehtz 2404 IM Dinara Wagner 2403 FM Lara Schulze 2345 WGM Jana Schneider 2318 WGM Hanna Marie Klek 2293 11. Serbia (2351) Captain: Alisa Maric IM Teodora Injac 2417 IM Alina Bivol 2345 WGM Elif Mehmed 2342 WIM Jovana Srdanovic 2298 WGM Sofia Pogorelskikh 2244 12. Netherlands (2348) Captain: Jeroen Bosch IM Eline Roebers 2371 GM Peng Zhaoqin 2353 FM Anna-Maja Kazarian 2333 WGM Machteld van Foreest 2333 WIM Robin Duson 2184 13. Uzbekistan (2345) Captain: Nafisa Muminova WGM Afruza Khamdamova 2440 IM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova 2355 WFM Nilufarkhon Imomkuzieva 2296 WGM Umida Omonova 2287 WIM Guldona Karimova 2253 14. Switzerland (2340) Captain: Gundula Heinatz GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 2504 WIM Mariia Manko 2302 WIM Sofiia Hryzlova 2300 WGM Ghazal Hakimifard 2254 WIM Camille De Seroux 2170 15. Bulgaria (2332) Captain: Petar Arnaudov IM Nurgyul Salimova 2416 WGM Nadya Toncheva 2372 WGM Beloslava Krasteva 2305 WGM Gabriela Antova 2236 FM Gergana Peycheva 2222 16. Armenia (2329) Captain: Zaven Andriasian WGM Mariam Mkrtchyan 2390 GM Elina Danielian 2382 IM Lilit Mkrtchian 2360 WIM Susanna Gaboyan 2182 Anahit Mkrtchyan 2106 17. Mongolia (2322) Captain: Batsaikhan Tserendorj WIM Bat-Erdene Mungunzul 2392 IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul 2318 WGM Turmunkh Munkhzul 2296 WCM Khishigbaatar Bayasgalan 2281 WIM Bayarjargal Bayarmaa 2100 18. Hungary (2317) Captain: Miklos Galyas IM Zsoka Gaal 2369 IM Davaademberel Nomin-Erdene 2326 IM Szidonia Lazarne Vajda 2289 WGM Petra Papp 2283 WIM Kata Karacsonyi 2137 19. England (2314) Captain: Stuart Conquest FM Bodhana Sivanandan 2338 WGM Yao Lan 2320 IM Harriet Hunt 2299 IM Jovanka Houska 2297 WGM Elmira Mirzoeva 2261 20. Spain (2310) Captain: Jose Fernando Cuenca Jimenez IM Sabrina Vega Gutierrez 2401 IM Marta Garcia Martin 2331 IM Ann Matnadze Bujiashvili 2306 WFM Ines Prado Acebo 2203 WGM Monica Calzetta Ruiz 2175

Full team list at Chess-Results

1. Carlsen, Nakamura, Firouzja Are The Biggest Absentees

Before we get to the big names competing in Samarkand, we have to talk about the missing top-10 players. The biggest one of them is of course world number-one GM Magnus Carlsen, who is absent from the Norwegian team.

That's a huge blow for Norway, which would be a medal contender after finishing fifth in 2016. Now that Carlsen and GM Aryan Tari are both missing, Norway, with GM Johan-Sebastian Christiansen, are seeded just 21st.

Magnus Carlsen scored 6/8 for Norway in Budapest in 2024. He will not take part in 2026. Photo: Mark Livshitz/FIDE.

It didn't come as a big surprise that GM Alireza Firouzja is not competing for France, which he hasn't done since 2021. However, the French Chess Federation's public statement about his absence this time surely raised some eyebrows. The federation said the 23-year-old declined to play "without officially stating his reasons," and said he would not be included again for France unless he demonstrated a lasting commitment to the national team.

Nakamura, still third in the world, is again not part of the top-seeded U.S. lineup, which is also not a surprise given that he skipped this event in 2024. On his stream, the 38-year-old expressed that he was unhappy with the financial conditions, but also added that he wants to give younger players an opportunity to play.

🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura: "We are one decade later and the amount of money you get is exactly the same"

Hikaru Nakamura on why he won't play in the 2026 Olympiad:

"The offer to play the Olympiad was $10,000. Or sorry, $10,500 I believe is what it was. The bonus if you win a gold… pic.twitter.com/JnscizVzte — Endgame AI ( @EndgameaiChess ) June 9, 2026

In the Women's section, it's worth noting that Ukraine is missing the GM sisters, Anna Muzychuk and Mariya Muzychuk, as well as GM Natalia Zhukova.

2. The U.S. Is Still The Top Seed, But Not By Much

Even without Nakamura, the U.S., with GMs Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Hans Niemann, and Awonder Liang, remains the top-ranked team. Niemann and Liang will make their first U.S. appearances in the Olympiad, replacing GMs Leinier Dominguez and Ray Robson from the 2024 team.

Awonder Liang will make his Olympiad debut for the USA. Photo: Michal Walusza/FIDE.

Their average rating of 2751 puts them 18 points ahead of defending champion India. Uzbekistan is next, 13 points behind, while China trails the Americans by 45 points, making these the only teams with an average rating above 2700.

We all know there's more to it than just rating. In a competition as tense as the Olympiad, team chemistry, board order, form, and competitiveness over the grueling 11 rounds may play a bigger role than the small differences between the four leading averages.

3. India's Champions Change Only One Name

India has retained four of the members from the team that dominated in Budapest. Back then, World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju won the individual gold medal on board one by scoring a stunning 9/10 and a 3056 rating performance to almost hit 2800. Since then, however, he has had a dreadful run of bad performances to drop almost 100 points to 2703 and 31st in the world. Now the question remains whether the 20-year-old can regain his form in time.

Gukesh scored an incredible 3056 performance in the 2024 Chess Olympiad, winning both team gold and an individual gold medal. Photo: Mark Livshitz/FIDE.

The three others on Team India are GMs Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, and Vidit Gujrathi, while Nihal Sarin is replacing 40-year-old Pentala Harikrishna, leaving the average age of the team below 24.

It would not be a sensation if India wins another gold medal with that powerhouse lineup, and would make India the first team since Armenia, which won in both 2006 and 2008, to successfully defend the Open Olympiad title. Repeating the manner of its 2024 triumph, however, is another matter. India won 10 matches and drew just one in Budapest, a near-flawless performance that felt almost untouchable—and one that will be extraordinarily difficult to reproduce.

4. Ding Liren Returns For China

China's former World Champion Ding Liren hasn't been as active since losing his title to Gukesh, but this summer he's been slowly returning to action. In June, he was a part of Dragon Chilling that won both the Rapid and Blitz in the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship in Hong Kong.

He also scored 3.5/5 in the Chinese Chess League and 4/5 in the Chinese Team Chess Championship, performances that earned him a spot in the Total Chess World Championship Pilot.

Dragon Chilling's top three Ding Liren, Wei Yi, and Yu Yangyi are also on the top three boards for China in the Olympiad. Photo: Michal Walusza/FIDE.

Ding is no longer China's highest-ranked player, with that distinction now belonging to world number-11, GM Wei Yi. Along with former top-10 player GM Yu Yangyi, China has an experienced core: all three were members of the Chinese teams that won Olympiad gold in Tromso 2014 and Batumi in 2018.

There is greater uncertainty lower down the lineup, where GMs Xu Xiangyu (2629) and 17-year-old GM Kong Xiangrui (2549) will face much tougher opposition. But if Ding, Wei, and Yu perform near their best, China has the strength to fight for gold again.

5. The Olympiad Could Be A World Championship Preview

India and Uzbekistan are seeded second and third, respectively, creating the possibility of an Olympiad encounter between the national teams of the next two world championship contenders.

Gukesh will defend his title against GM Javokhir Sindarov in Geneva, Switzerland from November 25 to December 15, less than two months after the Olympiad ends, so this is likely the last time they meet in person before the match. At 20 years old, they will contest the youngest world championship match in history.

Javokhir Sindarov was a key player for the Uzbek team that won Olympiad gold in 2022. Can he help them win again in 2026? Photo: Lennart Ootes/FIDE.

Sindarov was a part of the Uzbek team that sensationally won Olympiad gold in 2022, and followed it with bronze in 2024. Now he heads an even stronger Uzbek team, having taken over from GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov's position as the nation's highest-rated player.

While Sindarov is likely to be on board one, it's less clear which board Gukesh will be on as India's fourth-ranked player, so they may not meet directly. But an India-Uzbekistan match will still provide a fascinating preview of the pressure surrounding their later world title contest.

6. The Kids And Legends Are Everywhere

In Olympiad history, a number of young talents have had the opportunity to shine for a global audience, but Samarkand will feature several players who are already international stars before reaching the age of 16.

For most countries, it would raise a few eyebrows if a selected player hasn't even reached his teens. However, it's not a surprise to see 12-year-old GM-elect Faustino Oro make his debut for Argentina. The world's second youngest grandmaster of all time will see his title finally confirmed during the Olympiad.

Turkiye’s GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus is already the nation's highest-rated player by far. The 15-year-old is up to 2716 and world number-27, overtaking Gukesh as the world's highest-rated junior.

Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus will play his second Olympiad for Turkiye. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

In the Women’s section, 11-year-old FM Bodhana Sivanandan returns after becoming the youngest to ever feature for England in an Olympiad at nine. It would not be a surprise if Bodhana plays on first board, ahead of WGM Lan Yao, IM Jovanka Houska, IM Harriet Hunt, and WGM Elmira Mirzoeva, all more than twice her age.

Oro, Erdogmus, and Sivanandan may be the most recognizable prodigies, but they are not the youngest players competing in Samarkand. Among those younger is 2016-born Vedant Shetty, St. Vincent & the Grenadines' top-ranked player in the Open. The youngest player in the entire Olympiad, however, appears to be Jessica Kobeissey, born in 2017, who plays for Lebanon's women's team.

On the other end of the scale, we also have a parade of legends competing. GMs Vasyl Ivanchuk and Ruslan Ponomariov play again for Ukraine, while GMs Peter Leko (Hungary), Loek van Wely (Netherlands) and Alexei Shirov (Spain) are all back at the event to the joy of their many fans.

In the Women's section, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk competes for Switzerland, while GM Elisabeth Paehtz returns for Germany after maternity leave. And don't forget 63-year-old GM Pia Cramling, who plays her 15th Chess Olympiad!

7. China’s Strongest Women Stay Away

The four highest-rated women in the world are all from China, but only their fourth-ranked player GM Zhu Jiner is featuring for their Olympiad team.

Zhu Jiner gets her medal at the 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Women’s World Champion GM Ju Wenjun, former world champion GM Tan Zhongyi and world-title challenger GM Lei Tingjie, and the more inactive world number-one GM Hou Yifan are not included. The team is completed by IM Song Yuxin, IM Lu Miaoyi, WIM Zhai Mo, and WGM Yan Tianqi.

Zhu is the star of the team, while Song and Lu are two promising young players who will want to show their best at this level. Even so, it is striking that China can omit three world championship-level players and remain among the top-three seeds.

8. India’s Women Change Two Players And Remains Favorites

India has made more changes to its Women’s team than to its Open champions. GM Koneru Humpy returns to join GMs Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, IM Vantika Agrawal, and IM Savitha Shri. That means GM Harika Dronavalli and IM Tania Sachdev, who both played in the gold-medal team in Budapest, are absent.

The changes have not affected India’s position as the top seed. With an average rating of 2476, they are 27 points higher than second-seeded Georgia, with China, Kazakhstan, and the U.S. completing the top five.

Can the Indian women repeat their gold medal from 2024? Photo: Mark Livshitz/FIDE.

Humpy brings decades of experience and remains one of the strongest women in the world. Savitha represents the rising generation and will make her Olympiad debut, while Divya has developed into a top-10 player since winning individual and team gold in Budapest.

India’s team may be even more dangerous on paper than the one that won gold in 2024.

9. Belarus Returns, While Russia Remains Out

Belarus will compete under its national flag after FIDE last month lifted the restrictions that had required Belarusian players and teams to use neutral symbols. FIDE stated that the Samarkand Olympiad would be one of the first major events affected by that decision.

GM Denis Lazavik heads a team with three grandmasters, ranked 41st in the event.

Speed chess star Denis Lazavik will compete in his first Olympiad as Belarus returns. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

However, no Russian team will take part in Samarkand as the Chess Federation of Russia (CFR) was suspended after refusing to follow a verdict by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that ordered them to cease organizing chess activities in the occupied Ukrainian territories.

The FIDE Council nevertheless left open the possibility that a team composed of Russian citizens could participate under a neutral flag, subject to a further Council decision. No such team appears on the current lists.

The former chess giant, no longer with any players among the world's top 20, remains out of the biggest chess event of the year for the third time.

The 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan is bound to be an unforgettable event, so don't miss all the action and coverage on Chess.com on September 16-27!