"VAN" (Sports Desk - 18.09.2026) :: Seven days of competition, a record 41 teams and countless stories from across the chess world came to a close in Samarkand, as Poland claimed gold at the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities. Cuba finished with silver, while hosts Uzbekistan 1 secured bronze on a memorable final day.
Round 7 began with FIDE Interim President and five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand making the ceremonial first move before the final battles got underway.
Poland entered the last round at the top of the standings and left no room for doubt, defeating the Philippines 3½–½. IM Marcin Molenda drew Menandro Redor on the top board, while IM Pawel Piekielny, IM Aleksander Czerwonski and Julia Salamon scored victories to complete a commanding final-round performance.
The result brought Poland to 13 match points, completing an undefeated campaign of six victories and one draw and securing the title of the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities.
Behind them, the battle for the podium came down to the wire. Cuba defeated the Czech Republic 2½–1½ to finish on 12 match points and take silver, while Uzbekistan 1 overcame Israel by the same 2½–1½ margin to score 11 match points and earn bronze in front of the home crowd.
Poland finishes on top
For Polish captain IM Marcin Molenda, the gold medal was the culmination of a tournament that had not started according to plan. After dropping a point in the opening round, Poland responded by winning every remaining match.
“It was definitely a rollercoaster. The first round, losing the points. After that, winning every single match. So, I’m quite happy, especially with the team, since we managed to pull this off.”
For Molenda, the significance of Samarkand went beyond the gold medal, with the Olympiad for People with Disabilities held alongside the main FIDE Chess Olympiad for the first time.
“Historically, we were playing some separate events. So right now, being with all the top players, grandmasters and also the world champions as well, is very important for us.”
He also praised the team’s experience in Uzbekistan:
“It was fantastic. The opening ceremony, as well as the closing ceremony, showed us a lot of culture, a lot of interesting facts about Uzbekistan. And also, it shows a really huge interest in chess.”
The final podium:-
Gold – Poland (13 match points)
Silver – Cuba (12 match points)
Bronze – Uzbekistan 1 (11 match points)
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