22 September was a rest day in Samarkand: after six tense rounds the teams got a pause before the decisive third of the event. The picture after six rounds: Uzbekistan lead alone, Armenia sit fourth with eight match points. Today, 23 September, round seven brings Armenia their loudest match so far — against the US team.
Armenia — USA is a clash of two teams that have gone unbeaten all tournament: Armenia have five wins and the draw with China, while the Americans, after the shock defeat by Germany in round five, have strung together three straight wins. Parallel to it, Uzbekistan play China — the hosts need points more than ever to keep the sole lead, and India meet England.
The day before, the third Paralympiad for players with disabilities concluded: Poland took the team gold, Cuba the silver, and hosts Uzbekistan the bronze. For Armenia the event is remembered for an individual triumph: FIDE Master Sargis Sargsyan won his section with 6.5 points out of 7 — a gold medal into Armenian chess’ Samarkand tally.
| Round seven, 23 September | Pairing |
|---|---|
| Armenia — USA | central match of the day |
| Uzbekistan — China | leader versus chaser |
| England — India | the chasers also play each other |
| Armenia’s position | 4th place, 8 match points |
What's next. Round seven begins today at 15:00 Samarkand time. Armenia — USA is the central pairing; we are following every board.
Sources
- ChessEver, accessed 23.09.2026
- FIDE, accessed 23.09.2026
- SportNews Armenia, accessed 23.09.2026
Ararat International Online School
