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Chess Olympiad 2026

Round 2

374 of 376 games finished, 87% of them decisive. 38 teams won 4–0. United States of America had the best team performance, 2497.

CompleteUpdated 28 Sept 2026, 16:36 CEST, 2 forfeits

Round 2 in numbers

374

games finished of 376

87%

decisive; White scored 53%

42

moves per game

112

moves in the longest game

Results

174

White wins, 47%

47

draws, 13%

153

Black wins, 41%

81 checkmates on the board, 12 draws by repetition, 0 stalemates, 2 draws before move 30 and 2 forfeits.

Accuracy and time

87.7%

average accuracy, as Lichess scores it

2.52

blunders per game

758

mistakes, as Lichess marks them

943

blunders, as Lichess marks them

2:18

average time per move

13%

of moves played with under 5 minutes left

Lichess analysed 374 of 374 finished games, with 1,909 inaccuracies, 758 mistakes and 943 blunders. Times come from the relay clocks of 361 games. The extra 30 minutes after move 40 showed up on move 41 or 42 for 65% of 218 players, and never for 99 players who went past move 45.

Game awards

Not awarded this round: Houdini.

Player awards

Ratings, titles and ages

Clock awards

From the relay clocks of 361 of 374 finished games; games with missing, hand-entered or corrected clocks are left out, and time left after move 40 counts only once the clock shows the extra 30 minutes.

Engine awards

From Lichess’s computer analysis of 374 of 374 finished games. Inaccuracies, mistakes and blunders are the ones Lichess marks on the move.

Chess culture

Never Play f6

50% scored by all who tried

7 more, tied

Ben Finegold says never push the f-pawn one square. These players did it by move 10 (f3 or …f6) and won anyway.

Not awarded this round: Short’s King Walk.

Homages to chess memes, famous games and Samarkand lore, meant kindly. Brilliant!!, Botez Gambit and The Carlsen Grind use Lichess’s analysis of 374 of 374 finished games; the rest look at every finished game.

Collections

En Passant

23en passants

20 more

Every en passant capture of the round.

Family Fork

6forks

3 more

A knight gave check and attacked the queen at the same time, from a square where it could not simply be taken. The ones that won the queen come first.

Holy Hell

20left alone

17 more

En passant was on the board and the player left it alone. En passant is forced, allegedly.

Greek Gift

9sacrifices

6 more

The classic bishop sacrifice on h7 (or …h2): the bishop took the pawn with check.

Connect Four

8rows of pawns

5 more

Four or more pawns side by side on one rank beyond their starting rank. The first row of each player is listed, the longest first.

Irish Pawn Centre

12Irish centres

9 more

Three pawns on one file, one behind the other. The first time for each player is listed.

Not awarded this round: Shahrukh, Il Vaticano.

The awards that list every case instead of crowning one, read from the position on every move; the overview counts them across the rounds. The Hard One, Il Vaticano, the pawn shapes and Royal Court may well stay empty for a round or two.

Match awards

Whitewash

38matches

35 more

Won the match 4–0, forfeits included.

Comeback Match

7matches

4 more

Lost on board 1 and still won the match.

Not awarded this round: Treaty of Samarkand.

Rates over each team’s finished games of the round, four needed. The event-wide team awards, the category leaders and the board race are on the standings page.

Teams: style

Space Invaders

50.57per 100 moves

  • 89 of 176 moves crossed the middle

Most moves into the opponent's half per 100 of the team's own moves.

Check, Please

9.25checks per game

Most checks given per game over the team's finished games.

The Late Knight Show

10per game

Most knight moves from move 31 on, per game, over the team's finished games.

Chicken Nation

23.32retreats per 100 moves

Most retreating moves per 100 of the team's own moves; castling never counts.

Forward March

3.94retreats per 100 moves

Fewest retreating moves per 100 of the team's own moves.

Pawn Pushers

36.97pawn moves per 100 moves

Most pawn moves per 100 of the team's own moves.

Favourite Piece

For each piece, the team whose own moves have the highest share of it.

Wandering Kings

17.5king moves per game

Most king moves per game over the team's finished games.

Safety First

5average castling move

Earliest castling on average, over the games in which the team castled at all.

Déjà Vu

3identical moves

Two of the team's games with the same colour that followed the same moves for longest; both are listed.

Teams: clocks

Deep Thinkers

3:32per move

Most seconds per move over the team's games with usable clocks.

Quick Draw

0:55per move

Fewest seconds per move over the team's games with usable clocks.

Zeitnot Nation

39% under five minutes

Highest share of moves played with under five minutes on the clock.

Time in the Bank

1:19:27left on average

Most time left on the clock after the last move, on average.

Over the relay clocks of 361 of 374 finished games; a team needs four such games.

Teams: engine

Precision Nation

97.9% accuracy

Highest average Lichess accuracy over the team's analysed games.

Escape Artists

2games saved

6 more, tied

Most games won or drawn from a position the engine had at −3.00 or worse.

Over Lichess’s analysis of 374 of 374 finished games; a team needs four analysed games.

Notable games

Game phases

11

moves of opening

17

moves of middlegame

19

moves of endgame

Averages per game, with the phases split as Lichess splits them. 78% of the games reached an endgame; the first capture came on move 6.9 on average.

Endgames by type

EndgameReachedAt the end
Rook6239
Queen and rook3313
King and pawn2516
Queen2217
Bishop1812
Knight138

A rook endgame has nothing but kings, pawns and rooks left; the others likewise, as the Lichess puzzle tagger defines them. A game can pass through several types, so the first column adds up to more than the games.

Reached, and still there at the end

Each band runs from the games that reached the endgame to those that still had it on the last move; the rest went on into another type. One scale for both columns.

ReachedAt the endRook 6239Queen and rook 3313King and pawn 2516Queen 2217Bishop 1812Knight 138

Tactics

6,590

captures, 17.6 per game

1,875

checks

607

castled kingside

54

castled queenside

12

games without castling

63

promotions, 2 under

23

en passant captures

Openings

First moves

  1. 1.e4
    54%
  2. 1.d4
    40%
  3. 1.Nf3
    4%
  4. 1.c4
    2%
  5. 1.b3
    0%

Share of all finished games. Opening names and ECO codes come from Lichess, based on the position reached.

Every opening of the round

The round’s openings as a tree: the five volumes of the opening encyclopaedia (A flank openings, B semi-open games, C open games and the French, D closed games and the Grünfeld, E Indian defences), their families, and every variation played. A line grows with the games through it; the red thread leads to the round’s rarest openings.

AVan Geet Opening 1Nimzo-Larsen Attack 2Zukertort Opening 7King's Indian Attack 2English Opening 11English Defense 2Horwitz Defense 2Queen's Pawn Game 4Indian Defense 11Torre Attack 2Yusupov-Rubinstein System 1London System 2London System, with Be2 1Queen's Indian Accelerated 1Benko Gambit Accepted 2Benoni Defense 1Dutch Defense 4BNimzowitsch Defense 1Pirc Defense 5Scandinavian Defense 5Alekhine Defense 2Modern Defense 8Caro-Kann Defense 28Sicilian Defense 71CFrench Defense 28King's Pawn Game 2Bishop's Opening 1King's Knight Opening 1Philidor Defense 5Petrov's Defense 3Scotch Game 4Three Knights Opening 1Four Knights Game 7Italian Game 17Ruy Lopez 15DQueen's Pawn Game 27Rapport-Jobava System 2Rubinstein Opening 1Queen's Gambit Declined 31Slav Defense 7Queen's Gambit Accepted 3Semi-Slav Defense 6Neo-Grünfeld Defense 2Grünfeld Defense 3ECatalan Opening 6Indian Defense 3Bogo-Indian Defense 3Queen's Indian Defense 3Nimzo-Indian Defense 4King's Indian Defense 13

Point at a line or a name to name the opening; click to open it on Lichess.Tap a name to name the opening; tap it again to open it on Lichess.

Which openings won

A bar per family: White’s wins, the draws, Black’s wins. The tick is the family’s score for White, the grey line the round’s; a tick right of it, and White did better than usual. Framed in red, the best for White and the best for Black of the families with at least 5 games.

Round: White 53%gamesSicilian DefenseQueen's Gambit Decl…Queen's Pawn GameCaro-Kann DefenseFrench DefenseItalian GameRuy LopezIndian DefenseKing's Indian DefenseEnglish OpeningModern DefenseFour Knights GameSlav DefenseZukertort OpeningCatalan OpeningSemi-Slav DefensePhilidor DefensePirc DefenseScandinavian DefenseDutch DefenseNimzo-Indian DefenseScotch GameBogo-Indian DefenseGrünfeld DefensePetrov's Defense71313128281715141311877766555444333
The numbers
FamilyGamesWhite winsDrawsBlack winsWhite’s score
Sicilian Defense712583841%
Queen's Gambit Declined311431450%
Queen's Pawn Game311731160%
Caro-Kann Defense28155863%
French Defense281521157%
Italian Game1792659%
Ruy Lopez1592467%
Indian Defense1443739%
King's Indian Defense1362554%
English Opening1161459%
Modern Defense831444%
Four Knights Game722343%
Slav Defense732257%
Zukertort Opening721436%
Catalan Opening622250%
Semi-Slav Defense631258%
Philidor Defense530260%
Pirc Defense520340%
Scandinavian Defense520340%
Dutch Defense420250%
Nimzo-Indian Defense410325%
Scotch Game431088%
Bogo-Indian Defense3300100%
Grünfeld Defense3300100%
Petrov's Defense320167%

Best for White

OpeningGamesWhite’s score
B31 Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation667%
B10 Caro-Kann Defense560%
D00 Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London System1150%
C01 French Defense: Exchange Variation750%

Best for Black

OpeningGamesWhite’s score
B40 Sicilian Defense: French Variation96%
D35 Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation625%
A45 Indian Defense: Accelerated London System530%
B23 Sicilian Defense: Closed530%

Openings with at least 5 games.

Rarest openings of the round

Pieces

8,270

pawn moves, 26%

5,479

knight moves, 17%

4,794

bishop moves, 15%

5,272

rook moves, 17%

3,831

queen moves, 12%

4,045

king moves, 13%

Captured and surviving

PieceCapturedStill on the board at the end
pawns3,01049%
knights1,21119%
bishops1,08827%
rooks81546%
queens46646%

Checkmates

81on the board

48 by White, 33 by Black

Mating pieceGames
Queen50
  1. move 10Al Balushi, Maryam Yusuf OMA mated Aluel Elizabeth Akuei Deng SSD
  2. move 14Al Mamary, Kothar OMA mated Aluong Riak Thon Ajak SSD
  3. move 15Fatima Cheikh Sidiya MTN mated Kangalee, Kennedi SKN
  4. move 15Fatimatou El Hadj Sidi MTN mated Fyfield-Jones, Kaellaa
  5. move 15Alhammouri, Roa PLE mated Kelly Massa BER
  6. move 19Melebo , Netsanet Lukas ETH mated Zouleikha Ali Moustapha CHA
  7. move 19Sala, Giulia ITA mated Helgadottir, Idunn ISL
  8. move 20Mangalo, Nelly Melissa CAF mated Fofana, Fatoumata Tafory GUI
  9. move 21Kapende Shalom MAW mated ELISEE NDAM ZIZA, Kristyna
  10. move 21Moreno Mora, Milaydes Lourdes ARU mated Phon, Soporpatey CAM
  11. move 22Seder, Randa PLE mated Sophia Burch BER
  12. move 23Peycheva, Gergana BUL mated Duque, Raquel Dos Santos POR
  13. move 25Alotaibi, Maitha Abdulrahman A KSA mated Terena DIALLO MLI
  14. move 27Kazarian, Anna-Maja NED mated Lyon, Hannah Jane LUX
  15. move 27Moreno, Akiane CPV mated Tehalyani, Kenishka GRN
  16. move 31Sokolova, Larisa CYP mated Manavalan, Muthu Pooja SEY
  17. move 32Ayele , Hana Mulugeta ETH mated Hourra mahamat Bagamla CHA
  18. move 32Eversley, Kiarra BAR mated Bertha Samson Mkude TAN
  19. move 33Fan, Wen Xi HKG mated Sambola, Kemvee H. LBR
  20. move 34Wu, Tansi Tung TPE mated Beckley, Jerelyn Adeshola Mary SLE
  21. move 34Jonet, Davena HAI mated Ashton, Molissa Francita VIN
  22. move 35Msukwa, Tupokiwe MAW mated ONANGA NDJIMBA, Pauline C. Kendall GAB
  23. move 35Sougoule, Manangbe GUI mated Langue Simba, Berenice Armelle CAF
  24. move 35Shuudifonya, Helvi NAM mated Muniro Hussein Ismail SOM
  25. move 35YOUSRA MAHDI ABDILLAHI DJI mated de Araujo, Maria Soares TLS
  26. move 36Faqeeh, Aseel PLE mated Fleming, Kaelyn BER
  27. move 38Sebastian, Mhage Gerriahlou PHI mated Mahmoud, Roula SYR
  28. move 38Cadeau, Merisena HAI mated Stacy Baptiste-King VIN
  29. move 39Gassama, Nsira GUI mated Langue, Salome CAF
  30. move 39Camara, Ruth Liliane CIV mated Kershaw, Anne ISV
  31. move 41Pride, Chika BAH mated Sihanath, Souphaphone LAO
  32. move 44Mejia, Camila HON mated Ngo Sohna Rose Corine CMR
  33. move 46Forgas Moreno, Yaniela CUB mated Molina, Jessica BOL
  34. move 46Rhonda J Lambert GRN mated Rodriguez Guevara, Celia M. CPV
  35. move 46Kaslan, Alexandra SUR mated May Myint Myat MYA
  36. move 47Kudafa, Sandrine TOG mated Mimino, Natasha PNG
  37. move 49Hunt, Harriet V ENG mated OMORUYI, Sandra Osarugue NGR
  38. move 49Otimile Maya BOT mated Aaya Rashad Taha Omer SUD
  39. move 51Nevissa Dahi MTN mated Jeetlall, Isabella SKN
  40. move 51Eyama Oye, Justa Mbasogo GEQ mated Naira Sinoia MOZ
  41. move 51Combs, Esther GUM mated KOUNDOU BALLAMA MAGARAM MALARAM NIG
  42. move 51Suthiponpaisarn, Proudpitcha THA mated Enock Mathilde VAN
  43. move 55Pereira, Deise CPV mated Achazia N.A.Lewis GRN
  44. move 56Francis, Thapelo BOT mated Lena Rashad Taha Omer SUD
  45. move 60Terubea, Cydel FIJ mated Fahima Ali Mohamed Mohamed COM
  46. move 62Nomalungelo, Mathe ZIM mated Ngozo Tivumile SWZ
  47. move 63Rabenandrasana,Norotiana Fararindra MAD mated Jubitana, Ginger CUR
  48. move 66Kudafa, Sandra TOG mated Wosley, Christine PNG
  49. move 69Dotse Sumya Ibrahim GHA mated Timothy, Shermel DMA
  50. move 88Almeida, Ariette STP mated Hafiza Mashal Rashid PAK
Rook22
  1. move 15Ahmed Awad, Omaima YEM mated Thomas, Alicia ANT
  2. move 29Jailos Rachel MAW mated NGOUA OYANE, Felicia GAB
  3. move 30Recica, Jona KOS mated Scatliffe, Tiandra IVB
  4. move 31KEOSAVANGH, BOUAVONE LAO mated Williams, Diana BAH
  5. move 37Lyons, Kieran FIJ mated Isma Ismaila Djailane COM
  6. move 37Kaewwattha, Natrada THA mated Virelala Cinzia VAN
  7. move 38Masau, Latileta FIJ mated Ahmed Houmairaou COM
  8. move 39Seine, Rose Berline HAI mated Durham-Balcombe, Ronnia R VIN
  9. move 41Prasad, Tanvi FIJ mated Bambaouma Maissane COM
  10. move 43Yavo, Tchetche Marie CIV mated Wrensford, Dejw ISV
  11. move 43Attieh, Kate LBN mated Kwizera Benissa BDI
  12. move 45Kung, Fan- Hsuan TPE mated Farmer, Mary Salamatu SLE
  13. move 46Flanagan, Yasmin BER mated Hamouri, Taqwa PLE
  14. move 47Muratet Carmona, Alexandra AND mated Callender, Jessica GUY
  15. move 48Al Mughaizwi, Muna OMA mated Julia Achok Arkangelo Miakol SSD
  16. move 51Sara Masood Abdullah IRQ mated Obaid, Sondos BRN
  17. move 53Viana, Valeria HON mated WEFANG Lucrece CMR
  18. move 53Reifer-Belle, Chanon BAR mated Lissa Siya Joseph TAN
  19. move 53Mwale, Naomi ZAM mated Ndeye Fatma Diop SEN
  20. move 53Muratet Carmona, Julia AND mated Sam, Kataleya Shenera GUY
  21. move 58RAMORASATA,Diary Vetsovetson Anjomara MAD mated Rico, Zayra CUR
  22. move 59BAHATI Mbebe, Claudine COD mated Gemota, Joan PLW
Bishop4
  1. move 28Saraci, Ndriqona KOS mated Ganigan, Alexis IVB
  2. move 48Pllana, Alba KOS mated Chin, Chane-Ann IVB
  3. move 52Ivanov, Elizabeth JPN mated Aishath Noya Shahurudheen Shareef MDV
  4. move 109Ouellet, Maili-Jade CAN mated Smith, Olivia WLS
Knight2
  1. move 6Rjeb, Nadine TUN mated Pg Hj Janudin, Dk Siti Haziqah BRU
  2. move 42Wu, Elise SUR mated May Phoo Zum MYA
Pawn3
  1. move 38Berke, Ana CRO mated Kawuma Patricia UGA
  2. move 46Paunescu, Aida CYP mated Mougal, Roysha SEY
  3. move 61Ensaf Muben Abdo Salmen YEM mated Iola Simmons ANT

The mating piece is read from the final position. A piece opens onto its mates.

Fastest mates

  1. Move 6, mate with the knightWCM Nadine Rjeb TUN 18531againstDk Siti Haziqah Pg Hj Janudin BRU 16300
  2. Move 10, mate with the queenMaryam Yusuf Al Balushi OMA 14611againstAluel Elizabeth Akuei Deng SSD0
  3. Move 14, mate with the queenKothar Al Mamary OMA 15871againstAluong Riak Thon Ajak SSD0
  4. Move 15, mate with the queenKennedi Kangalee SKN0againstFatima Cheikh Sidiya MTN 16091
  5. Move 15, mate with the queenFatimatou El Hadj Sidi MTN 16851againstKaellaa Fyfield-Jones Saint Kitts and Nevis0

The mates on a move axis

A dot per checkmate on the move it fell, filled for a mate by White, hollow for one by Black, the fastest in red. Each piece in the list opens onto its games.

050100150QueenRookBishopKnightPawn

Board heatmap

Darker means more moves, on a square-root scale.

Busiest squares

  1. d51,155
  2. d41,136
  3. f61,018
  4. e4997
  5. e5989

Quietest square with any traffic: a1, 96.

Where the pieces went in the finished games of the round.