India Retains Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy at 46th Chess Olympiad
India successfully retained the prestigious Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy at the 46th Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Indian contingent secured the overall national championship title courtesy of a silver medal in the Open section and a bronze medal in the Women's section, marking its third consecutive triumph in the category.
What happened
The 46th Chess Olympiad was conducted from 15 September to 27 September 2026 at the Silk Road International Exhibition Centre within the Silk Road Samarkand tourist centre in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Jointly organised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, the biennial event was formally opened by FIDE Deputy President Viswanathan Anand, with Ivan Syrovy officiating as the Chief Arbiter. The 11-round Swiss-system competition featured 206 teams representing 204 nations in the Open section and 189 teams representing 187 nations in the Women's section.
In the Open division, host nation Uzbekistan secured the gold medal with 20 match points after defeating Ukraine 2.5–1.5 in the final round to reclaim the title they previously held in 2022. The Indian Open team clinched the silver medal following a 2–2 draw with Hungary in round 11. India and Germany finished tied on 18 match points and 28.5 game points, but India claimed the silver medal through a direct head-to-head tie-break, relegating Germany to the bronze medal.
In the Women's category, China captured the gold medal with 20 match points by defeating Vietnam 3–1 in the 11th round. Kazakhstan finished second to take the silver medal. The Indian women's team earned the bronze medal after a 2–2 tie with Georgia in the final round, anchored by an individual victory from Koneru Humpy and a draw from Savitha Shri B.
By virtue of their joint finishes, India finished at the top of the combined standings to retain the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy. This victory marked India's third consecutive title, following overall wins at Chennai in 2022 (44th edition) and Budapest in 2024 (45th edition). Viswanathan Anand presented the trophy to the Indian contingent during the closing ceremony. In auxiliary awards, the All India Chess Federation (AICF), headed by President Nitin Narang, was ranked third in the FIDE Best Federation category.
Important dates
| 46th Chess Olympiad Dates | 15 September 2026 to 27 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Announcement of Final Results | 28 September 2026 |
| 47th Chess Olympiad (Abu Dhabi) | 2028 |
📌 Static GK links
- The Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy was instituted by FIDE in 1997 and first presented at the 33rd Chess Olympiad in Elista in 1998.
- The trophy is named in honour of Georgian Grandmaster Nona Gaprindashvili, who was the fifth Women's World Chess Champion from 1962 to 1978.
- FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) Deputy President is former World Champion Viswanathan Anand.
- Host city of the 46th Chess Olympiad: Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
- Host city of the 47th Chess Olympiad (2028): Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
What candidates should do
- Memorise the sequential venues of the Chess Olympiads: 44th (Chennai, India), 45th (Budapest, Hungary), 46th (Samarkand, Uzbekistan), and 47th (Abu Dhabi, UAE).
- Note the qualifying criterion for the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy (best combined Open and Women's performance) as this distinction is frequently tested in banking and SSC examinations.
PrepZen analysis
India's retention of the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy confirms the country's collective depth in international chess. Winning the trophy across three consecutive editions (2022, 2024, and 2026) places India in elite company alongside Russia as the only nations to achieve a hat-trick of overall Olympiad titles.
For competitive examinations, questions on this topic typically test four distinct areas: the exact name and purpose of the trophy, the host city and country of the current edition, the upcoming venue for 2028, and the specific medal winners in the Open and Women's sections.
Practice questions
Q1. Which national chess federation won the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy for the best combined performance at the 46th Chess Olympiad?
Q2. The 46th Chess Olympiad was hosted by which country in September 2026?
Q3. Which city is scheduled to host the 47th Chess Olympiad in 2028?
Overall national championship secured via Open silver and Women's bronze medals.
This marks India's third straight title after victories in 2022 and 2024.
Uzbekistan claimed Open gold, while China took gold in the Women's division.
🎯 Key Point: India wins Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy third consecutive time at Samarkand.
FAQs
What is the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy?
The Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy is awarded by FIDE at the Chess Olympiad to the nation that achieves the best aggregate performance across both the Open and Women's competitions.
Who won the Open and Women's team gold medals at the 46th Chess Olympiad?
Host nation Uzbekistan won the gold medal in the Open section, while China won the gold medal in the Women's section.
Which medals did the Indian teams win at the 46th Chess Olympiad?
India won the silver medal in the Open division (finishing ahead of Germany on a head-to-head tie-break) and the bronze medal in the Women's division.
After whom is the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy named?
The trophy is named after Nona Gaprindashvili of Georgia, who was the fifth Women's World Chess Champion from 1962 to 1978.
Sources
- chess-results.com (S1.chess-results.com)
- wikipedia.org (en.wikipedia.org)
- mychess.events (mychess.events)
- fide.com (www.fide.com)
Prepared by the PrepZen Editorial Team from official releases and verified reports, for exam preparation. Spotted an error? Write to prepzen.app@gmail.com.
Practice Quiz — 28 September 2026
Q1. Who has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)?
Q2. Which bank has appointed actor R. Madhavan as its brand ambassador alongside launching the 'Nothing Small About Us' campaign?
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding India's first LNG-powered train: 1. It was flagged off from Sabarmati Railway Station in Gujarat. 2. The train runs exclusively on LNG fuel. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q4. Where is the 11th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) being held?
Q5. Which mountaineering institute's team summited 20 unclimbed peaks above 6,000 meters in Ladakh in just 23 days?
Keep Learning with PrepZen
Get daily current affairs, live mock tests, mistake bank, vocab builder & more — all free on your phone.