The 2026 Women’s Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, has come to an end, and what a tournament it was. From the opening round to the final handshake, the Olympiad brought together women chess players from around the world for one of the biggest celebrations of team chess. When the final games were played on September 27, China emerged as champions, Kazakhstan claimed silver, and India took bronze.

🇨🇳 China Takes the Crown

China spectacularly finished the Women's Olympiad.
Going into the final round, they were already in control of the race for gold. They sealed the title with a convincing 3–1 victory over Vietnam, finishing with 20 match points.
At the heart of the team's performance was Zhu Jiner, who defeated Le Thao Nguyen Pham on the top board.
Zhu completed the tournament unbeaten with 7/9, earning the individual gold medal on Board One.

But another name captured plenty of attention:
Lu Miaoyi.
At just 16 years old, Lu delivered one of the tournament's standout performances. She remained unbeaten throughout the Olympiad and scored an impressive 9.5/11, also earning individual gold on Board Three. A teenager standing on the world's biggest team-chess stage and performing at that level?
That is the kind of story young girls need to see.

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan Secures Silver

Kazakhstan also played a strong tournament.
The team remained among the leading contenders throughout the event and entered the final round still in the fight for the podium. Their final match against Poland ended in a 2–2 draw, giving Kazakhstan 18 match points and the silver medal.

Elnaz Kaliakhmet added an individual highlight to the team's campaign, taking the gold medal on Board Four.
Silver may be one medal, but behind it were eleven rounds of teamwork, preparation and resilience.
And that is one of the beautiful things about the Olympiad. You don't play alone; every board matters, every point matters, every player matters.

🇮🇳 India Returns to the Podium

India entered Samarkand as the defending women's champions after winning gold at the 2024 Olympiad.
This time, the team finished with bronze.
India drew 2–2 with Georgia in the final round. Several teams finished on 17 match points, but India secured third place on tiebreak.

One of India's standout performers was Savitha Shri B, who won the individual gold medal on the reserve board.
For a team that came to defend its title and left with another place on the podium, the tournament was another chapter in India's growing presence in women's chess.

The Young Queens Are Coming

Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from Samarkand is the strength of the next generation.
Lu Miaoyi's performance is impossible to ignore. At 16, she wasn't simply participating. She was producing one of the strongest individual performances of the entire Women's Olympiad. And she wasn't the only young player making her presence felt.

The 2026 Olympiad brought together hundreds of teams and thousands of players, coaches, captains, and supporters from around the world, but beyond the medals and results, Samarkand gave young girls something just as important: representation. When a girl sees someone her age competing on the international stage, she doesn't just see a chess player. She sees a possibility.

At Promoting Queens, we believe that every girl deserves the opportunity to learn, play, compete, and discover just how far her next move can take her, because when we put a chessboard in a girl's hands, we're not just teaching her a game. We're giving her a space to think, to lead, to dream, and to see herself differently.

Keep learning. Keep playing. Keep thinking two moves ahead. The next queen could be you. And we'll be here, cheering you on.