Reigning champion India will look to defend their title

The Chess Olympiad 2026 will bring together some of the strongest national teams, with several countries arriving with line-ups packed with elite grandmasters.

Based on the average ratings of the announced squads, the United States enters the event as the top-ranked team, closely followed by India and Uzbekistan. China, Germany and the Netherlands are also among the strongest teams on paper.

With elite players such as Fabiano Caruana, R Praggnanandhaa, Javokhir Sindarov, Ding Liren, Wei Yi, Vincent Keymer and Anish Giri all set to represent their countries, the battle for Olympiad glory is expected to feature some of the biggest names in world chess.

Uzbekistan won the Open Olympiad in 2022, India won in 2024, and both enter 2026 as the two strongest challengers to the top-seeded United States.

Here is a look at the players representing the top-rated teams at the Chess Olympiad 2026:

1. United States — Average Rating: 2753

The United States leads the field in average Elo rating and has assembled one of the deepest lineups in the competition.

• GM Fabiano Caruana — 2789
• GM Wesley So — 2774
• GM Levon Aronian — 2725
• GM Hans Niemann — 2725
• GM Awonder Liang — 2693

With Caruana and So leading the lineup and vast experience across the squad, the United States will enter the Olympiad as one of the favourites.

RELATED: FIDE announces full schedule for 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand

2. India — Average Rating: 2735

India has named another formidable lineup featuring some of the country’s biggest chess stars of recent years.

Captain: Srinath Narayanan

• GM R Praggnanandhaa — 2761
• GM Arjun Erigaisi — 2759
• GM Nihal Sarin — 2718
• GM Gukesh D — 2703
• GM Vidit Gujrathi — 2697`

With five players above Elo 2690, India has one of the strongest and most balanced squads in the entire field.

3. Uzbekistan — Average Rating: 2720

Uzbekistan continues to establish itself as one of the world’s chess major powers.

• GM Javokhir Sindarov — 2778
• GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov — 2762
• GM Nodirbek Yakubboev — 2685
• GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov — 2654
• GM Mukhiddin Madaminov — 2611

Led by Sindarov and Abdusattorov, Uzbekistan possesses one of the most dangerous top boards at the Olympiad.

4. China — Average Rating: 2707

China remains one of the few teams capable of matching the strongest nations in the world, board for board.

• GM Wei Yi — 2752
• GM Ding Liren — 2733
• GM Yu Yangyi — 2710
• GM Xu Xiangyu — 2631
• GM Kong Xiangrui — 2549

The presence of former World Champion Ding Liren alongside Wei Yi makes China one of the most intriguing teams in the competition.

5. Germany — Average Rating: 2677

Germany arrives with a strong blend of established players and younger talent.

• GM Vincent Keymer
• GM Matthias Bluebaum
• GM Frederik Svane
• GM Alexander Donchenko
• GM Rasmus Svane

Vincent Keymer headlines a German team that could challenge several higher-rated opponents.

6. Netherlands — Average Rating: 2675

The Netherlands brings together experience and a strong group of established grandmasters.

• GM Anish Giri
• GM Jorden van Foreest
• GM Loek van Wely
• GM Erwin l’Ami
• GM Casper Schoppen

Giri leads the team, while the inclusion of Jorden van Foreest gives the Netherlands considerable strength on the top boards.

7. Azerbaijan — Average Rating: 2667

Azerbaijan has traditionally been one of the strongest teams at international team events and once again fields a highly competitive squad.

• GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
• GM Aydin Suleymanli
• GM Mahammad Muradli
• GM Rauf Mamedov
• GM Eltaj Safarli

The experienced Mamedyarov remains the biggest name in the Azerbaijani lineup.

RELATED: R Praggnanandhaa back in world top 10, dethrones Erigaisi as India No. 1

8. Hungary — Average Rating: 2652

Hungary’s team is led by two of the country’s most accomplished grandmasters.

• GM Richard Rapport
• GM Peter Leko
• GM Benjamin Gledura
• GM Tamas Banusz
• GM Gleb Dudin

Rapport’s creativity and Leko’s experience make Hungary a particularly interesting team to watch.

9. France — Average Rating: 2638

France enters the Olympiad with a combination of experienced stars and younger talent.

• GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
• GM Etienne Bacrot
• GM Marc’Andria Maurizzi
• GM Jules Moussard
• GM Maxime Lagarde

Vachier-Lagrave remains France’s standout player and is expected to lead from the front.

10. Armenia — Average Rating: 2637

• GM Haik Martirosyan
• GM Robert Hovhannisyan
• GM Shant Sargsyan
• GM Gabriel Sargissian
• GM Manuel Petrosyan

11. Ukraine — Average Rating: 2629

• GM Igor Kovalenko
• GM Ruslan Ponomariov
• GM Vasyl Ivanchuk
• GM Anton Korobov
• GM Ihor Samunenkov

12. England — Average Rating: 2624

• GM Nikita Vitiugov
• GM Gawain Jones
• GM Michael Adams
• GM Luke McShane
• GM Daniel Fernandez

13. Spain — Average Rating: 2620

• GM David Anton Guijarro
• GM Maksim Chigaev
• GM Jaime Santos Latasa
• GM Alexei Shirov
• GM Daniil Yuffa

RELATED: PM Narendra Modi hails Gukesh-Sindarov World Championship clash as India-Uzbekistan bond strengthens

14. Türkiye — Average Rating: 2616

• GM Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş
• GM Ediz Gürel
• GM Işık Can
• GM Vahap Şanal
• GM Emre Can

15. Serbia — Average Rating: 2616

• GM Alexey Sarana
• GM Velimir Ivić
• GM Aleksandar Inđić
• GM Alexandr Predke
• GM Bojan Maksimović

16. Poland — Average Rating: 2615

Duda is the clear headline name in the Polish team and will be expected to lead the country against the world’s strongest opposition.

• GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda
• GM Szymon Gumularz
• GM Jan Malek
• GM Jakub Kosakowski
• GM Jakub Seemann

You can see the full list here.

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