Chess · Worth knowing

India is defending its unprecedented double-gold from Budapest 2024, where it dominated the Open with 21 match points out of 22 and won the Women's title as well. The defending champion faces challenges in Samarkand with World Champion Gukesh struggling—his live rating dipped below 2700 after a round-two draw against Indonesia's IM Satria Duta Cahaya—but India's exceptional depth with players like Praggnanandhaa should sustain its title defense. The United States arrives as the provisional number-one seed with a rating advantage, while host nation Uzbekistan, featuring World Cup winner Sindarov and 2021 World Rapid Champion Abdusattorov, represents perhaps the most exciting contender after bronze in Budapest and gold in Chennai 2022. Gukesh and Sindarov, scheduled to face each other for the classical World Championship in Geneva beginning November, could meet during the Olympiad if their teams are paired in later rounds—creating a rare public preview of their World Championship battle, a psychological subplot to their normal behind-closed-doors preparation. Magnus Carlsen will not compete for Norway, and Russia cannot participate due to FIDE suspension, both representing significant absences from the 46th Olympiad featuring a record 400 teams from nearly 200 nations competing across 11 rounds in Samarkand from September 15-27.