The Complete Olympiad 2026 Guide: Southern Europe
By Cameron W. · Tue, 01 Sep 2026
Southern Europe adds two more all-grandmaster Open rosters to this series' growing tally: Spain, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Malta and Portugal.
Southern Europe adds two more all-grandmaster Open rosters to this series' growing tally: Spain, seeded 12th overall and still featuring the legendary Alexei Shirov at board four, and Greece, seeded 19th. Italy brings its own family storyline, GM Sabino Brunello anchoring the Open team's fourth board while IM Marina Brunello, likely his sister, leads the Women's side. Cyprus matches that with the Sokolova sisters on its women's roster, and Malta closes the region with the most uniform Open team in this entire series, five players, five Candidate Master titles. Here is how Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, and Spain line up heading into Samarkand.
Board order below is provisional, based on FIDE rating, until national captains submit their fixed lineups under the Olympiad Regulations.
Spain
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Anton Guijarro David (2641) leads an all-GM five seeded 12th overall.
One to watch: GM Shirov Alexei (2601), the legendary former World Championship challenger, still competing at board four.
Prediction: Five grandmasters and a top-fifteen seed make Spain a genuine medal contender in the Open section.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: IM Vega Gutierrez Sabrina (2401) leads a fully titled roster with three IMs at the top.
One to watch: IM Garcia Martin Marta (2331), the second of three IMs and a genuine source of depth.
Prediction: Three IMs plus a WGM give Spain's women's team real strength throughout the lineup.
Greece
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Theodorou Nikolas (2633) leads an all-GM five seeded 19th overall.
One to watch: GM Papaioannou Ioannis (2608), barely behind board 1 and giving Greece real depth at the very top.
Prediction: Five grandmasters within 108 rating points of each other make Greece a deep, well-balanced Open team.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: IM Tsolakidou Stavroula (2433) leads a fully titled roster with an FM and three more titled players.
One to watch: FM Avramidou Anastasia (2330), the team's only FM and a genuine second scoring option.
Prediction: A fully titled, well-organized roster should keep Greece competitive throughout the Women's section.
Italy
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Lodici Lorenzo (2583) leads a roster with four GMs and an IM, including GM Sabino Brunello at board four.
One to watch: GM Brunello Sabino (2535), whose likely sister leads Italy's women's team, a genuine family storyline spanning both squads.
Prediction: Four GMs and an IM give Italy real depth and a strong chance of a competitive finish in the Open section.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: IM Brunello Marina (2308) leads a fully titled roster, likely the sister of Italy's own Open board four.
One to watch: IM Zimina Olga (2305), barely behind board 1 and giving Italy a genuine second strong board.
Prediction: Two IMs at the top make Italy's women's team competitive, with the Brunello family storyline adding a genuine human angle to the campaign.
Portugal
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Ferreira Jorge Viterbo (2529) leads a roster with two GMs and three IMs.
One to watch: IM Sousa Andre Ventura (2451), close behind board 1 and giving Portugal real depth in the middle boards.
Prediction: Two GMs anchoring three IMs make Portugal a competitive, professionally titled Open team.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: FM Pipiras Filipa Fortuna (2282) is Portugal's only titled player above WFM level, well clear of the rest of the roster.
One to watch: WFM Silva Mariana (2016), the clearest second scoring option behind board 1.
Prediction: A single strong board carrying a lighter supporting cast; Portugal's women's result will depend heavily on Pipiras's form.
Cyprus
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Kelires Andreas (2532) is Cyprus's only grandmaster, leading three FMs further down the order.
One to watch: FM Antoniou Rafail (2287), the highest of three FMs and a near-certain fixture near the top of the lineup.
Prediction: A single strong GM carrying a titled supporting cast gives Cyprus a stable, if top-heavy, Open campaign.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: WCM Sokolova Victoria (1711) leads a roster that includes her likely sister, WCM Sokolova Larisa, at board three.
One to watch: WCM Sokolova Larisa (1690), part of a sister pairing that gives Cyprus's women's team its own family storyline.
Prediction: A tightly packed, fully titled roster lifted by the Sokolova sisters should keep Cyprus competitive in the lower half of the regional field.
Malta
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: CM Mizzi Jack (2216) leads a roster where all five players hold the Candidate Master title, the most uniform Open team found anywhere in this series.
One to watch: CM Portelli Matthew (2184), the second of five CMs and barely behind board 1.
Prediction: An entirely CM-titled roster gives Malta a stable, consistent Open campaign, if one without a standout individual name.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: WFM Caruana Pulpan Oana (1969) leads a squad with two untitled players and one WCM.
One to watch: WCM Stagno Milena (1771), Malta's other titled player on the women's side.
Prediction: A single strong board carrying a mostly untitled roster; Malta's women's result will hinge on its top two boards.
The regional picture
Spain and Greece both bring all-grandmaster Open rosters to Southern Europe, with Shirov's continued presence for Spain a genuine link to an earlier era of the game. Italy and Cyprus each carry their own family storylines, the Brunello siblings and the Sokolova sisters, while Portugal offers solid two-GM depth. Malta closes the region with the single most uniform roster in this entire series, five Candidate Masters and nothing else, a reminder that consistency can look very different from star power.
