India fell to Uzbekistan in the 2026 Chess Olympiad after Nihal Sarin’s queen lost at move 35, sealing a 1‑0 defeat that knocked the hosts from first place.
Sarin had been riding a streak of three wins and two draws before facing Yakubboev. The board looked bright—after 35 moves he held a better position, but a single misstep turned the tide. Meanwhile, world champion Dommaraju Gukesh sat in the hall, watching in stunned silence as the board flipped.
The moment came when Sarin, playing black, played 35…Qxd6, a blunder that exposed his queen. When Yakubboev replied 38.Ne6, the error finally hit its mark. Gukesh, Gokul Srinath, and even commentator Vidit Gujrathi missed the tactic, a rare collective oversight that left the Indian camp reeling.
After the board, Sarin walked away with his face in his hands, visibly distraught. Gukesh later admitted he couldn’t believe the loss either, his frustration spilling over as he looked back at the board one last time. “It’s a very simple tactic, but we all missed it,” he said, echoing the team’s collective disbelief.
With India’s top spot now vacant, the team’s morale takes a hit. The loss means the squad must regroup and focus on the remaining matches to salvage their standing. Their next challenge? A showdown with the defending champions, a match that could still keep the gold within reach.