Uzbekistan and the United States to Meet Ahead of the Samarkand Chess Olympiad
Sport
The national chess teams of Uzbekistan and the United States will face each other in a rapid and blitz team match in Miami on 27–28 July, providing a major test ahead of the FIDE Chess Olympiad, scheduled to take place in Samarkand from 15 to 27 September. The event will feature five players currently ranked in the world's top 10.
The match will follow the Scheveningen format, with each member of the Uzbek team playing every player in the U.S. main lineup. A total of 48 games will be played over two days, including 16 rapid and 32 blitz encounters. The winner will be determined by team points, with individual scores and, if necessary, an Armageddon playoff serving as tie-breakers.
Uzbekistan will be represented by Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Nodirbek Yakubboev and Shamsiddin Vokhidov, while Mukhiddin Madaminov has been named as the reserve player. The United States will field Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So and Levon Aronian, with Lenier Dominguez listed as the alternate.
One of the most anticipated pairings is expected to be another meeting between Javokhir Sindarov and Hikaru Nakamura. Earlier this year, Sindarov defeated the American grandmaster at the Candidates Tournament to earn the right to compete for the World Chess Championship.
The Miami encounter will also mark the first meeting between the two national teams since their 2–2 draw at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, where Uzbekistan went on to win its first-ever Olympic gold medal. All games will be rated for the FIDE rapid and blitz rankings.
Uzbekistan will be represented by Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Nodirbek Yakubboev and Shamsiddin Vokhidov, while Mukhiddin Madaminov has been named as the reserve player. The United States will field Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So and Levon Aronian, with Lenier Dominguez listed as the alternate.
One of the most anticipated pairings is expected to be another meeting between Javokhir Sindarov and Hikaru Nakamura. Earlier this year, Sindarov defeated the American grandmaster at the Candidates Tournament to earn the right to compete for the World Chess Championship.
The Miami encounter will also mark the first meeting between the two national teams since their 2–2 draw at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, where Uzbekistan went on to win its first-ever Olympic gold medal. All games will be rated for the FIDE rapid and blitz rankings.
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