Jamaica finish midpack at Chess Olympiad

SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan (CMC):

Uzbekistan won the Open section of the 2026 Chess Olympiad while China captured the Women’s section as Caribbean teams finished well down the standings when the tournament concluded at the Silk Road International Exhibition Centre on Sunday.

Uzbekistan finished on 19 points after winning nine of their 10 matches to secure their second Open title. They ended one point ahead of second-place India, who won a tiebreaker to finish ahead of Germany.

Cuba were the highest-placed Caribbean side, finishing 61st among 206 countries after winning five matches, drawing three, and losing two.

Barbados followed in 109th position with a 4-2-4 record, while Jamaica placed 113th with an identical mark.

Trinidad and Tobago were the fourth-highest Caribbean team, ending 123rd after winning four matches, losing five, and drawing one.

Aruba were next in 132nd position, followed by Guyana in 143rd, the Cayman Islands in 147th, Suriname in 152nd, and The Bahamas in 153rd.

Antigua and Barbuda finished 156th, Haiti 161st, Saint Lucia 164th, and Grenada 173rd.

Meanwhile, in the Women’s section, China went unbeaten, winning nine matches and drawing two to claim the title. Kazakhstan secured the silver medal, and India took bronze.

Once again, Cuba were the region’s top-performing team, placing 31st. Jamaica finished 90th, Barbados 103rd, the Dominican Republic 107th, and Haiti 110th.

The Bahamas placed 122nd overall, Trinidad and Tobago 126th, the Cayman Islands 131st, and Aruba 134th.