Nakamura and Dominguez absent
The United States Chess Federation has announced its teams for the 46th Chess Olympiad, which will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 15 to 28 September 2026. Organised by the International Chess Federation, the event is expected to bring together around 200 teams from across the world.
The US open team will consist of GMs Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Hans Niemann, Levon Aronian and Awonder Liang. IM John Donaldson will serve as captain, while GM Grigory Oparin has been named as trainer.
This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas.
Looking for an opening that gets your opponents thinking on move one? Grandmaster Andy Woodward has relied on 1.b3 for years in blitz and bullet, using it to defeat strong masters and grandmasters who underestimated its hidden venom. While many players dismiss the opening as harmless, they often find themselves caught in unfamiliar positions, tactical traps, and uncomfortable middlegames. This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas that matter most when the clock is ticking.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: King's Indian Setup
Three members of the squad return from the previous Olympiad: Caruana, So and Aronian. Caruana and So have been part of the US team in every edition of the Olympiad since 2016, while Aronian is set to represent the country for a third consecutive Olympiad since transferring to the United States in 2021.
Niemann and Liang will both be making their Olympiad debuts.
Notably absent is Hikaru Nakamura, currently ranked third in the world, who has not played in the Olympiad since 2018. Leinier Dominguez has also not been included. This marks the first time he has missed selection since transferring to the United States in December 2018, having represented the team in 2022 and 2024. Although Dominguez currently holds a higher rating than both Aronian and Liang, his recent activity in classical chess has been limited - he played only four classical rated games in 2025.
Photos: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes
The US women's team will be represented by IM Carissa Yip, IM Alice Lee, GM Irina Krush, IM-elect Rose Atwell and IM Tatev Abrahamyan. GM Melikset Khachiyan will captain the squad, with Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem serving as trainer.
Yip, Lee and Krush all return from the 2024 team. Atwell will be making her Olympiad debut, while Abrahamyan is set to play her seventh Olympiad for the United States. The five selected players are also the country's five highest-rated women according to the official June ranking.
Krush brings the longest Olympiad record in the squad. The eight-time US women's champion first represented the United States at the Olympiad in 1998, missed the 2000 edition, and has played every Olympiad for the country since then.
The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.The team also includes two of the leading young players in US women's chess. Lee and Atwell, ranked second and third in the country, were both born in 2009.
Le Quang Liem, the women's team trainer, brings Olympiad experience as a player, having represented Vietnam since 2006 (he also played for Vietnam in the latest edition).
Photos: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes (Yip, Lee and Abrahamyan) & Crystal Fuller (Krush, Atwell)
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