The Isle of Man is being represented on the world stage this week as the national chess team competes in the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The prestigious biennial event brings together more than 200 national teams, with the 2026 Open competition featuring 208 teams representing 205 countries.

The tournament sprang into life on Tuesday with a spectacular opening ceremony, before the competition itself got underway yesterday (Wednesday) and continues until Sunday, September 27, with 11 rounds being played under the Swiss system.

The Isle of Man squad is captained by Colin Watkinson (non-player) and comprises FIDE Master Li Wu, Sanjay Gumireddy, John Costello, Sandor Talas and Harry Quayle.

Wu is the island's highest-rated player at 2266, followed by Gumireddy on 1890, Costello on 1832, Talas on 1796 and Quayle on 1675.

The team has an average rating of 1946 and is seeded 147th in the 208-team field.

The Olympiad provides the Manx players with the opportunity to compete against some of the world's leading chess nations and players, with the host country Uzbekistan, defending champions India, China and the United States among the leading teams in the field.

The Isle of Man's campaign got underway on Wednesday against a Latvia side ranked 57th in the world, with the latter coming out on top 4-0.

Matches are contested over four boards, with teams also able to call upon their fifth player during the competition.

The Manx side will play 11 rounds in total, with the competition continuing through to September 27.

- The team would like to thank the Scheinberg family for its generous support.