Igor Samunenkov won the individual gold medal at the 2026 Chess Olympiad
Igor Samunenkov, a 17-year-old Ukrainian grandmaster and Leo Team ambassador, was named the best player on board four at the 46th World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. He finished the tournament undefeated and outperformed a number of well-known chess players in terms of tournament performance.
Samunenkov represented the Ukrainian national team on board four and scored 8 points out of a possible 10: six wins and four draws. The Ukrainian’s tournament performance was 2,720 points.
By this measure, he outperformed, among others, reigning world champion Dommaraj Gukesh, whose performance rating was 2,718, as well as American grandmaster Levon Aronian, who scored 2,699.
In the September FIDE rating list, Samunenkov ranks 15th among chess players under the age of 21 with a rating of 2,608.
After the tournament ended, Ihor Samunenkov gave an exclusive interview to UA.News, in which he spoke about his emotions, the most memorable moments of the competition, representing Ukraine, and his next goals.
“I haven’t quite come to terms with this tournament yet”
After the Olympiad ended, Samunenkov admitted that he hadn’t yet had time to fully process the result and the emotions he experienced during the competition.
“My feelings after the Olympics are, of course, very positive. To be honest, even after a few days, I haven’t quite recovered emotionally from such a tournament. Right now, this motivates me even more to keep working, to keep improving, and to continue achieving strong results while representing Ukraine on the international stage,” Samunenkov said.
Ihor views his performance positively. According to him, a key factor in his success was his ability to withstand the intense competition schedule both mentally and physically.
“A score of 8/10 is very good for me, especially given the difficulty and grueling nature of the tournament, where I had to play 10 games. I think I managed to demonstrate good mental and physical resilience. At the same time, I realize that I can perform even better, so I don’t want to rest on my laurels. But I’m very pleased with my result at this Olympiad,” Samunenkov noted.
The match against Uzbekistan was the highlight of the Olympiad
What Samunenkov remembers most is the final round against the Uzbekistan national team. The hosts were playing in front of a home crowd, and a large number of fans were watching the match.
“I’ll probably remember many moments from the Olympiad, since every game was a separate challenge for both me and the entire team. But what stood out the most was the final round—the game against Uzbekistan. A lot of people were watching that match, and it was a great honor for our entire team to play against such strong opponents, especially considering that the Olympiad was held right here in Uzbekistan,” Igor said.
The chess player also specifically noted the opportunity to compete in this match alongside experienced Ukrainian chess players, including Oleksandr Belyavsky, and to work with the national team’s coaching staff.
“I was also very happy to have the opportunity to compete in this match alongside Oleksandr Henrikhovych Belyavsky and our coaches. That’s why this moment in particular was one of the most memorable for me during the entire Olympiad,” he added.
What Competing for Ukraine Means to Samunenkov
For Samunenkov, this was not his first major tournament as part of the national team. In 2025, he had already represented Ukraine at the European Team Championship in Batumi, where the team won gold.
However, the chess player himself emphasizes that the scale of the World Chess Olympiad feels completely different.
“It was a great honor for me to represent the Ukrainian national team at such a prestigious tournament. I had already made my debut for the national team at the 2025 European Team Championship in Batumi, where we won the team gold. But the Olympiad is an even bigger event, so this experience is particularly meaningful to me,” Samunenkov said in an interview with UA.News.
According to him, he plans to continue competing for the national team at major international competitions and to prepare for them based on the experience he gained in Samarkand.
The result exceeded expectations
Before the tournament began, Samunenkov hadn’t set the bar that high for himself, so the final result came as a pleasant surprise.
“For me personally, this gold medal means a great deal. Before the tournament, I hadn’t even set such a high bar for myself, so this result pleasantly exceeded my own expectations. It gives me even more motivation to work hard and keep moving forward. I’m very grateful to everyone who helped me get this opportunity and prepare well for the tournament,” said Igor.
Samunenkov also highlighted the high caliber of the opponents he managed to outperform by the end of the competition.
“It’s especially gratifying that on board four I managed to outperform many well-known world-class chess players,” the grandmaster added.
Next goal: new tournaments and improving his rating
After the Olympiad concludes, Samunenkov plans to take some time to recover, and then return to training and working on his rating.
One of the Ukrainian’s upcoming major events will be the European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship, which will take place December 5–8 of this year.
In 2027, Samunenkov also plans to participate in the FIDE Grand Swiss 2027.
“After a tournament like that, I’ll need some time to recover and regain my strength. And then I plan to work even harder on my game and gradually improve my rating. I have new important tournaments ahead of me. I want to approach these competitions in good form and continue to improve,” Samunenkov said.
The Ukrainian national team finished the Olympiad in 11th place
The Ukrainian men’s team finished the team tournament in 11th place. In the final round, the Ukrainians lost to the Olympiad hosts—the Uzbekistan national team—by a score of 1.5–2.5. Samunenkov’s game in this match ended in a draw.
Ihor Samunenkov is a Ukrainian grandmaster and Leo Team ambassador. In 2023, at the age of 14, he became the world’s youngest active grandmaster. Since then, he has continued to establish himself at the senior international level and regularly represents Ukraine at major tournaments.
Following his successful performance in Samarkand, Samunenkov is already focusing on his next competitions, working on his rating, and making further progress on the international chess scene.
