Uzbekistan brings India to its knees, Spain is crushed: All results of the 6th round

The decisive 6th round matches, which determine the balance of power at the 46th Chess Olympiad hosted by Samarkand, have come to an end. In the central men's showdown that captured the world's attention, Uzbekistan's main national team pulled off an important victory by defeating India, the tournament's top favorite, with a score of 2.5 : 1.5. Against the backdrop of draws by Abdusattorov, Sindarov, and Vokhidov, Nodirbek Yakubboev's victory over Nihal Sarin sealed the team success.

The second major sensation of the day was recorded by the "Uzbekistan-2" youth team: our compatriots achieved an unexpected result by defeating the strong Spanish team 2.5 : 1.5. In the women's competition, although our main national team could not overcome the resistance of Georgia's experienced grandmasters (0.5 : 3.5), our second and third teams secured confident victories against North Macedonia (3.5 : 0.5) and Sweden (2.5 : 1.5), respectively. So, how did the balance of power in the medal race look after the 6th round, will the momentum of our youth reach the main squads, and will the main Olympiad trophy stay in Samarkand?

"Defeat of the Indian giant and the momentum of the youth": 5 key points of the 6th round

The main events and results recorded in the historic round in Samarkand:

• India's main squad defeated: India, featuring world-ranking stars (Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi), lost to Uzbekistan with a score of 1.5 : 2.5;

• Nodirbek Yakubboev — hero of the match: Defeating Nihal Sarin on board 3 (1:0), Yakubboev gave Uzbekistan the championship spirit;

• Sensation over Spain by "Uzbekistan-2": Abdimalik Abdisalimov defeated Maxim Chigaev (1:0), and with draws on the other three boards, Spain was defeated 2.5 : 1.5;

• Contrasting struggle in the women's team: Our main team lost to Georgia 0.5 : 3.5 (the sole half-point was scored by Afruza Khamdamova), but Uzbekistan-2 and Uzbekistan-3 teams won;

• Our girls defeated Sweden and North Macedonia: The games of Nilufar Yakubbaeva, Marjona Malikova, Barchinoy Shokirjonova, and Ozoda Shakhzodova — who defeated Anna Cramling — became the highlight of the round.

46th Chess Olympiad (Samarkand): Full report of round 6

Performance of all matches recorded by Uzbekistan's men's and women's national teams:

Chess expertise: Why did round 6 turn the tide of the competition?

Main conclusions of international grandmasters and experts:

• Breaking the Indian barrier: The Indian team was the highest-rated and main favorite for the gold medal in this Olympiad; beating them in a direct encounter firmly established Uzbekistan at the top of the standings;

• The incomparable depth of Uzbekistan's chess reserves: The victory of our second squad over a renowned team like Spain showed that the country has formed not just 4-5 players, but two fully competitive Olympiad teams;

• A lesson in experience in women's chess: The Georgian team is considered one of the most titled and strongest schools of women's chess in the world; this defeat will be a great experience for our young girls, while the confident victories of our second and third teams lifted the general morale;

• Ozoda Shakhzodova's skill: The victory over Anna Cramling, a member of Sweden's famous chess family, became one of the most discussed games in the fan and media world.

The round 6 matches in Samarkand once again demonstrated to the whole world that the national teams of Uzbekistan are the main contenders for gold medals at the World Chess Olympiad.

In your opinion, can the Uzbekistan men's national teams, having defeated giants like India and Spain, climb to the podium simultaneously at the Samarkand Olympiad? How do you assess the skill of Nodirbek Yakubboev, who brought victory on board 3, and Abdimalik Abdisalimov, who beat Spain? Leave your personal analysis and thoughts in the comments and share these historic triumphs of Uzbek chess with all intellectual sports fans!