The fourth round of the Chess World Championship concluded in Samarkand, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. After the first four matches in the open and women's tournaments, several teams maintain the maximum number of points and are among the leaders of the competition.
In the open section, China, Uzbekistan, Germany, Armenia, the United States, India, the Netherlands, and Hungary each secured four consecutive victories, earning four points per match. As for the women's tournament, India, Kazakhstan, China, and the United States remain undefeated, having won all four matches played.
Before the start of the fourth round, participants observed a minute of silence in memory of Georgios Makropoulos, who held leadership positions in FIDE for a long time and made a significant contribution to the development of the chess movement. Specifically, during his tenure leading the Greek Chess Federation in Thessaloniki, the 1984 and 1988 Olympics were held.
With the arrival of the Marshall Islands team, the total number of participants in the open tournament reached a record 206 teams, and one hundred eighty-nine teams participated in the women's section. The Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov, visited the competition on the same day.
The Uzbekistan team faced Turkey in the fourth round and won with a score of 2.5:1.5. Three games ended in a draw, and Nodirbek Yakubboev brought a winning point to the hosts on the third board.
India defeated Spain with a score of 3:1; Ramesh Babu Praghnanandha drew. Another match ended in a draw, and Arjun Erigaisi and Gukesh D. secured winning points for India.
The United States confidently beat Ukraine with a score of 3.5:0.5. Wesley So won his third game in a row. Victories by Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana allowed the American team to achieve great success.
China defeated Serbia with a score of 3:1. Wei Yi recorded his third consecutive victory in the tournament, beating Alexander Indzhich. The Netherlands also maintained an ideal record after defeating Greece; Anish Giri won his fourth game in a row.
Germany, Armenia, and Hungary also finished the fourth round with victories. Along with the Netherlands, they continue to play without losing any points.
Results of five main matches in the open tournament:
Uzbekistan — Turkey: 2.5:1.5
USA — Ukraine: 3.5:0.5
Spain — India: 1:3
Serbia — China: 1:3
Germany — Poland: 2.5:1.5
The Uzbekistan women's team defeated Argentina with a score of 3:1 in the fourth round. Umida Omonova brought another point to the team and won her fourth victory in the tournament.
India completed its match against Mongolia with a score of 3:1. Two games ended in a draw, while Divya Deshmukh and Savita Shri won their matches. For Savita Shri, this victory was her fourth in a row.
Kazakhstan also continued its winning streak. In the match against Armenia, the Kazakh team achieved a result of 3:1. Bibisara Asaubayeva won her first victory in the current Olympiad.
The United States defeated Spain with a score of 3.5:0.5. The only half-point for the Spanish team came from Ann Matnadze. Karissa Yip and Tatev Abrahamyan each scored 3 out of 3 possible points, and Alice Li won all four games.
China defeated Hungary with a score of 3.5:0.5. Additionally, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, and Serbia finished their matches with victories and joined the ranks of teams that won all four games.
Results of five main matches in the women's tournament:
Uzbekistan — Argentina: 3:1
Mongolia — India: 1:3
Armenia — Kazakhstan: 1:3
China — Hungary: 3.5:0.5
Spain — USA: 0.5:3.5