The story of the past two Chess Olympiads has been India and Uzbekistan’s rising prowess. The two nations have challenged each other for gold in the past two editions. And given the age of the players, it’s likely that the rivalry is only going to grow.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov agrees. The 20-year-old contemporary of Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi is itching for revenge from India when Uzbekistan hosts the next Olympiad.
In a freewheeling interview with The Indian Express, the PBG Alaskan Knights star Nodirbek Abdusattorov opens up about the rise of India and Uzbekistan in chess, the support for Uzbek players back home, his impression about the Global Chess League and more.
Excerpts:
At the last Olympiad in 2022, Uzbekistan were the champions. Your win against Gukesh was the turning point of that entire Olympiad. From then to now, how have you seen the Uzbekistan and the Indian players’ rise?
It’s definitely going to be very interesting to see how we compete with each other because we are definitely going to be one of the favorites in each Olympiad for coming years. It’s obviously very hard to compete with Indians because there are many players they have. India have a kind of very deep reserve in their team because every player can have a replacement. I can’t say this about my team because we are kind of limited in that sense. We have four established super grandmasters and we will do our best. We are hosting the 2026 Chess Olympiad in our country. We are definitely looking forward to having a kind of revenge for Budapest.
How do you see the dynamic between India and Uzbekistan in a sense? Both teams were competing for the gold in 2022 and 2024. Will the rivalry between India and Uzbekistan be a feature of many decades to come maybe?
Definitely. Because chess in general in Asia has been growing for many years. You can see in the Olympiad the comparison between these countries. Definitely Asia has more potential. I definitely see this as a good boost for chess generally. If we continue to have this kind of rivalry between these two teams it’s going to be fun for both players and for fans.
“India have a kind of very deep reserve in their team because every player can have a replacement,” says Abdusattorov. (FIDE/Michal Walusza)
When Gukesh became the youngest-ever World Championship contender, did that kind of make you also feel like your days are also coming? Because it was almost like a generation breaking through, which you are also a part of. Maybe next World Championship you might be in front of him?
Definitely. It’s the generation that is changing and we can see that definitely in the world rankings. Like we have five or four or five junior players in the top 10 list. So you can definitely see this happening. It’s only going to be more and more competitive. I’ve known Gukesh for many years. He’s, of course, an extremely talented, extremely strong player. He has shown extremely amazing results in the Candidates and the Olympiad. He’s proven that he’s there for the challenge. It’s going to be interesting to see how the chess elite will change.
Just talking about yourself, can you talk about the level of support that you get in Uzbekistan. We know there is government support. But from private partners, is there a lot of support?
Of course, each player in our national team has his own sponsorship. The government does a good job supporting everything from training camps to travel and expenses. In that sense, we are one of the most improved sports in Uzbekistan. We had a very great Olympics this year in Paris. We had five gold medals in boxing. So, boxing, I would say, is the most popular in Uzbekistan. Ranked first. It’s changing, but I think chess is in the top three. The government are doing absolutely everything for us. I have my own sponsor, a private sponsor.
What has been your impression about the Global Chess League? Is it unique in the sense that you are wearing jerseys, sneakers. Because chess is all about being formal, wearing formal shoes.
In a way this tournament is very unique because it’s been held for only a second time and we are only getting started in this business. It’s very good for everyone to have these kinds of tournaments because it’s very entertaining and a lot of new chess followers will come visit. In a way, it’s a different feeling compared to other team tournaments like the Olympiad. It’s more kind of chill, so I am just enjoying the atmosphere and just having a good time. I have, fortunately, a very good team. We have a very good relationship with each other among our players.
When you said it’s very chill, what is the one thing that has maybe stood out about this tournament that you probably have never experienced anywhere else in any other tournament?
The format is very different because this year they changed to no increment. It’s very, very rare in this kind of tournament because we are not used to playing without increment. So, it’s a very different kind of psychology and there are many cameras recording everywhere, just trying to bring, to share some new excitement and new insights. It’s a new experience for every player in this kind of tournament. I wish there been more tournaments like this. We will get a chance to compete in a higher stage.
