The story of the last two Chess Olympiads has been India and the rising talent of Uzbekistan. These two nations have challenged for gold in the previous two editions. And given the age of the players, the rivalry is likely to grow.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov agrees. The 20-year-old contemporary of Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi is determined to take revenge on India when Uzbekistan hosts the next Olympiad.
In a free chat with The Indian Express, PBG Alaskan Knights star Nodirbek Abdusattorov opens up about India and Uzbekistan’s growth in chess, support for Uzbek players at home, his view on the Global Chess League and more.
Quotes:
In the last Olympiad in 2022, Uzbekistan became the champion. Your victory over Gukesh was the turning point of the entire Olympiad. From then till now, how have you seen Uzbekistan and Indian players rise?
It will be very interesting to see how we compete because we will definitely be favorites in each Olympiad in the coming years. It is obvious that it is very difficult to compete with the Indians because they have many players. India has a kind of deep reserve in its team because every player can have someone to fill his place. I can’t say this about my team because we are limited in that way. We have four great grandmothers established and we will do our best. We are hosting the 2026 Chess Olympiad in our country. We are definitely looking forward to having some kind of revenge for Budapest.
How do you see the dynamic between India and Uzbekistan in a sense? Both teams were competing for gold in 2022 and 2024. Will the rivalry between India and Uzbekistan be a feature for many decades to come perhaps?
Definitely. Because chess in general in Asia has been growing for many years. You can see in Olympiad the comparison between these countries. Asia definitely has a lot of opportunities. I see this as a good upgrade for chess in general. If we continue to have this kind of rivalry between these two teams, it will be fun for the players and the fans.
“India has a kind of deep reserve in their team because every player can have someone to cover their place,” Abdusattorov said. (FIDE/Michal Walusza)
When Gukesh became the youngest ever World Championship competitor, did that kind of make you feel like your days were coming? Because it was almost like a generation that is falling apart, and you are a part of it. Maybe the next World Championship you could be in front of him?
Definitely. It is a changing generation and we can definitely see that in the world rankings. Since we have five or four or five young players in the top ten. So you can definitely see this happening. It will be very competitive. I have known Gukesh for many years. Yes, he is an extremely talented, extremely strong player. He showed very impressive results in Candidates and Olympiad. You have proven yourself in this challenge. It will be interesting to see how the chess elite will evolve.
Talking about yourself, you can talk about the level of support you get in Uzbekistan. We know that there is support from the government. But for private partners, is there much support?
Yes, each player in our national team has his own sponsorship. The government is doing a great job supporting everything from boot camps to travel expenses. In that sense, we are one of the most developed sports in Uzbekistan. We had a great Olympics this year in Paris. We have five gold medals in boxing. Therefore, boxing, I would say, is very popular in Uzbekistan. It is prioritized. It changes, but I think chess is in the top third. The government does absolutely everything for us. I have my own sponsor, a private sponsor.
What is your opinion on the Global Chess League? Is it different in the sense that you wear sweaters, sneakers. Because chess is about formality, wearing formal shoes.
In a way, this competition is very different because it is only the second time and we are still starting in this business. It is great for everyone to have this kind of tournaments because it is very entertaining and will be visited by many new chess fans. In a way, it’s a different experience compared to other team competitions like the Olympiad. It’s cool, so I just enjoy the atmosphere and have fun. Fortunately, I have a very good team. We have a very good relationship between our players.
When you say it’s cold, what’s one thing that might stand out about this tournament that you might not have found anywhere else in other tournaments?
The format is very different because this year they have changed and not increased. It’s very rare in this tournament because we don’t usually play without going up. So, it’s a very different kind of psychology and there are a lot of cameras recording everywhere, just trying to bring, share new joys and new insights. It is something new for every player in this type of tournament. I wish there were tournaments like this. We will have a chance to compete in the top division.