Olympiad Team 2026

Uganda crowns 2026 national chess champions as Samarkand squad takes shape

Open Champion: Nyola Wasswa Mark 

 Women Champion: WIM Sana Omprakash Kayyar 

The championship doubled as the official qualifier for the top five players in the Open and top five players in the Women’s section, who now form Uganda’s national teams for the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. 

Open and Women Teams – 46th Chess Olympiad

Photo Credit Arthur Mukunya (Bani Bulletin)

The format that tested everyone

• 12 players per section
• 11 rounds
• Split across three weekends to manage intensity and recover.

That structure rewarded stamina, opening preparation and endgame discipline. It also purnished lapses hard especially in the late rounds when qualification pressure peaked.

Open Section: Nyola Wasswa Mark finishes clear

Nyola Wasswa Mark controlled the race and sealed the title with 8.5 points, finishing a full point ahead of the field.

Behind him,the battle for the remaining qualification places stayed tight. Several contenders finished on the same points, with tie breaks deciding who fell just outside the top five.
One of the headlines subplots came from the coaching rivalry on the board, where Mathias Ssonko defeated FM Harold Wanyama, but final tie breaks kept both outside the top five.

Woman Section: WIM Sana Omprakash Leads a youth surge

WIM Sana Omprakash Kayyar delivered the most dominant score in either section winning the women’s title with 9.0 points

This year produced a landmark shift. Uganda’s women’s team now features four under 20 players, with much of the momentum coming through the Kamwokya Teens Life Community Chess Academy (KTLCA) pipeline.

WCM Ampaire Shakira anchors the group as the veteran presence and experienced international competitor.

A key storyline during the middle weekend captured the changing guard feel, including the direct clash between Sana and Shakira that drew major attention.

National teams and ratings

Ratings below come from the official final standings (FIDE standard rating as shown in the rankings)

Uganda Open Team,Samarkand 2026

Table Standings – Open

What this result signals for Uganda chess

Uganda heads to Samarkand with a clear contrast in team profiles.

• Open team : a blend of elite veterans and proven performers, led by new national champion
• Women team: a teenager core with one experienced anchor, built around a high scoring champion.