US Defeats Uzbekistan at WR Chess Miami 2026
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The US team defeated Uzbekistan in the inaugural WR Chess Miami Rapid & Blitz 2026 team tournament. The American chess players secured victory with a round to spare, while the final round ended in a draw, resulting in an overall score of 14-10.
The US team featured Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, Wesley So, Hikaru Nakamura, and Leinier Dominguez. Team Uzbekistan comprised Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vokhidov, and Mukhiddin Madaminov.
Following the first day of rapid competition, the US team held a 5-3 lead. On the second day, the US team also won the blitz section 9-7, securing the overall victory.
During the match, the Uzbek team fought back to level the total score at 9-9 after the fifth round. However, the American players won the sixth and seventh rounds, clinching victory prior to the final round.
A key highlight was Nodirbek Abdusattorov's victory over Hikaru Nakamura in the first blitz round, which briefly leveled the match at 5-5 before Nakamura later won a rematch.
Javokhir Sindarov defeated Nakamura twice, while Nodirbek Yakubboev and Abdusattorov scored wins against Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian. Decisive victories by Caruana, So, Aronian, and Nakamura ultimately secured the overall win for the US team.
Following the match, Nodirbek Abdusattorov noted that the team format makes chess particularly compelling.
"One thing I like about team competitions is that there are no more boring draws," Abdusattorov said. "Everyone is going to fight, and for sure there will be some interesting games."
According to the Uzbek grandmaster, the main strength of his national team remains friendship and strong team spirit.
Commenting on the match, Hikaru Nakamura stated that the US team managed to play its best in critical moments despite making mistakes. Wesley So praised the performance of the Uzbek team, highlighting the potential of Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Tournament organizers praised the high level of competition and expressed hope that fans will see a similarly thrilling matchup between the two teams at the upcoming Chess Olympiad.
