Experience vs. Youth
Team USA: Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, and Leinier Dominguez.
Team Uzbekistan: Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vokhidov, and Mukhiddin Madaminov.
Day 1: Experience Takes the Lead (Rapid: USA 5 – 3 Uzbekistan)
The action kicked off with 4 rounds of Rapid (15m + 10s increment). The veteran American squad set the pace early, taking Day 1 with a 5–3 match point advantage:
Round 1 (USA 2.5–1.5 UZB)
Round 1 Games
Round 2 (USA 2.0–2.0 UZB)
Javokhir Sindarov produced the shocker of the day, stunning Hikaru Nakamura in just 22 moves with a brilliant 99.7% accuracy miniature! However, Wesley So saved the round for Team USA by winning a fortress position against Shamsiddin Vokhidov.
Round 2 Games
Round 3 (USA 2.5–1.5 UZB)
Levon Aronian displayed a tactical masterclass against Sindarov, securing a crucial win alongside Nakamura’s smooth conversion over Vokhidov.
Round 3 Games
Round 4 (USA 1.5–2.5 UZB)
Uzbekistan pulled two points back in the final rapid round, led by Nodirbek Abdusattorov defeating Wesley So in a tense endgame with rook against two minor pieces.
Round 4 Games
Day 2: The Blitz Battles (Blitz: USA 9 – 7 Uzbekistan)
With 8 rounds of Blitz (3+2) on Day 2 and 16 total match points up for grabs, the young Uzbek squad came out in full form.
The Uzbeks grabbed early momentum on Day 2, winning Round 1 (2.5–1.5) and Rounds 4 & 5 to stay within striking distance. Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov pushed the veterans to their limits in high-speed battles. However, when the pressure peaked in the crucial Round 7, Team USA showed their Dominance:
Hikaru Nakamura defeated Mukhiddin Madaminov with Black.
Levon Aronian scored a vital win over Javokhir Sindarov.
Wesley So took down Uzbekistan’s top board, Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
A dominant 3.5–0.5 round win sealed the overall match victory for the Americans with a round to spare! A 2.0–2.0 draw in Round 8 finalized the Day 2 blitz score at 9–7 for USA, bringing the cumulative total to 14–10.
Replay Blitz Games
Coverage by ChessBase India
Photo Gallery: Here
Video Gallery: Here
Venue: Faena Hotel Miami Beach
Live Streams
Tournament Format
System
Scheveningen team match: Team USA vs Team Uzbekistan, four players a side on four boards
Rounds
Stage 1: rapid, 4 rounds · Stage 2: blitz, 8 rounds; each round of four games counts as one match
Time Control
Rapid: 15 minutes + 10-second increment from move one (G/15+10)
Blitz: 3 minutes + 2-second increment from move one (G/3+2)
Tiebreaks
Board points; if still tied, a single Armageddon game (White 4′+2″, Black set by time bid; a draw counts as a win for Black)
Overall Standings
Team standings by match points: win 2, draw 1, loss 0. Leinier Dominguez (USA) and Mukhiddin Madaminov (Uzbekistan) are reserves.
