The Complete Olympiad 2026 Guide: Western Europe
By Cameron W. · Sat, 05 Sep 2026
The final piece of this entire Olympiad series saves its heaviest hitters for last. Germany, Netherlands, France, and England occupy four of the top twelve overall seeds in the whole tournament, all four fielding complete five-grandmaster Open rosters.
The final piece of this entire Olympiad series saves its heaviest hitters for last. Germany, Netherlands, France, and England occupy four of the top twelve overall seeds in the whole tournament, all four fielding complete five-grandmaster Open rosters. Germany's Vincent Keymer, at 2764, is the highest-rated player anywhere in Western Europe, playing alongside brothers Frederik and Rasmus Svane. The Netherlands pairs Anish Giri with siblings Jorden and Machteld Van Foreest across its Open and Women's teams. Switzerland's women's team is anchored by former Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, and England's women's roster is headlined by FM Bodhana Sivanandan, the celebrated young prodigy. Here is how Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, Switzerland, and Wales line up heading into Samarkand, closing out coverage of every federation across Africa, Oceania, the Americas, Asia, and now the whole of Europe.
Board order below is provisional, based on FIDE rating, until national captains submit their fixed lineups under the Olympiad Regulations.
Germany
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Keymer Vincent (2764) leads an all-GM five seeded 5th overall, the highest-rated individual player in Western Europe.
One to watch: GM Svane Frederik (2655), one half of a brother pairing with GM Rasmus Svane at board five.
Prediction: A top-five overall seed with five grandmasters makes Germany a genuine gold medal contender in the Open section.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Paehtz Elisabeth (2404) leads a fully titled roster seeded 10th overall.
One to watch: IM Wagner Dinara (2399), barely behind board 1 and giving Germany real strength at the top.
Prediction: A top-ten seed with a GM and two WGMs makes Germany's women's team a serious contender for a strong overall finish.
Netherlands
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Giri Anish (2757) leads an all-GM five seeded 6th overall, partnered at board two by GM Jorden van Foreest.
One to watch: GM Van Foreest Jorden (2706), whose sister anchors the Dutch women's team, a genuine family storyline running through both squads.
Prediction: A top-six seed with five grandmasters gives the Netherlands one of the strongest overall claims to gold in this entire series.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: IM Roebers Eline (2378) leads a roster that includes WGM Machteld van Foreest, sister of the Dutch Open team's own board two.
One to watch: WGM Van Foreest Machteld (2333), completing a genuine family pairing spanning both Dutch squads.
Prediction: A GM and two WGMs, lifted by the Van Foreest family storyline, give the Netherlands' women's team real depth for a strong finish.
France
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime (2718) leads an all-GM five seeded 9th overall.
One to watch: GM Bacrot Etienne (2620), the second of five grandmasters and a genuine veteran presence in the lineup.
Prediction: A top-ten seed with five GMs makes France a serious contender for one of the strongest overall finishes in the tournament.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Sebag Marie (2401) leads a fully titled roster seeded 8th overall, one of the strongest women's seeds in the whole event.
One to watch: IM Daulyte-Cornette Deimante (2391), barely behind board 1 and giving France real depth at the top.
Prediction: A top-eight seed with a GM and three IMs makes France's women's team a legitimate medal contender.
England
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Vitiugov Nikita (2666) leads an all-GM five seeded 12th overall, including veteran GM Michael Adams still competing at an elite level.
One to watch: GM Adams Michael (2598), a longtime fixture of English chess sharing the board with a new generation of grandmasters.
Prediction: A top-fifteen seed with five GMs gives England a strong, well-rounded Open campaign throughout the tournament.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: FM Sivanandan Bodhana (2354) leads a roster seeded 20th overall, headlined by one of the most talked-about young prodigies in the game today.
One to watch: IM Houska Jovanka (2297), close behind board 1 and giving England real depth in the middle boards.
Prediction: With a genuine rising star at board one backed by two IMs, England's women's team carries both quality and a compelling story into Samarkand.
Switzerland
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Peng Li Min (2568) leads a roster with three GMs, an IM, and an FM, seeded 34th overall.
One to watch: GM Bogner Sebastian (2547), the second of three grandmasters and a genuine source of depth.
Prediction: Three GMs give Switzerland a competitive, professionally titled Open campaign in the middle of the Western European field.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Kosteniuk Alexandra (2495) leads a roster seeded 17th overall, headlined by a former Women's World Champion.
One to watch: WIM Manko Mariia (2285), close behind board 1 and giving Switzerland real depth alongside a genuine star name.
Prediction: With a former world champion at board one and a top-twenty seed, Switzerland's women's team is a serious contender for a strong finish.
Austria
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Alekseenko Kirill (2656) leads a roster with three GMs and two IMs, seeded 28th overall.
One to watch: GM Blohberger Felix (2552), the second of three grandmasters and a genuine source of points.
Prediction: Three GMs and two IMs give Austria a solid, professionally titled Open campaign capable of a strong finish.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: IM Badelka Olga (2424) leads a fully titled roster with two WIMs and two WFMs.
One to watch: WIM Schloffer Jasmin-Denise (2236), a clear second option behind board 1.
Prediction: A fully titled, well-organized roster makes Austria's women's team competitive throughout the Western European field.
Belgium
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Gurevich Mikhail (2533) leads a roster with two GMs and three IMs, seeded 45th overall.
One to watch: IM Maerevoet Sim (2461), the highest of three IMs and a genuine second source of points.
Prediction: Two GMs anchoring three IMs give Belgium a competitive, professionally titled Open campaign.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: WIM Goossens Hanne (2248) leads a roster with two WFMs behind her.
One to watch: WFM Vanduyfhuys Daria (2123), a clear second option behind board 1.
Prediction: A moderately titled roster should keep Belgium competitive in the middle of the Western European field.
Scotland
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: IM Waldhausen Gordon Frederick (2455) leads a roster with three IMs and two FMs, seeded 60th overall.
One to watch: IM Greet Andrew N (2416), close behind board 1 and giving Scotland real depth at the top.
Prediction: Three IMs and two FMs make Scotland a competitive, fully titled Open team throughout the field.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan (2256) is Scotland's only grandmaster, well clear of the rest of the roster.
One to watch: WCM Bhatia Kanishka (2093), the clearest second scoring option behind board 1.
Prediction: A single strong GM carrying a lighter supporting cast; Scotland's women's result will depend heavily on Arakhamia-Grant's individual form.
Wales
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: IM Camacho Collados Jose (2358) leads a fully titled roster, seeded 100th overall.
One to watch: FM Blackburn Jonathan L B (2239), Wales's second-highest titled player.
Prediction: A single strong IM carrying a moderately titled supporting cast gives Wales a competitive campaign in the lower half of this group.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: WFM Smith Olivia (2039) leads a roster that includes sisters WCM Imogen and Syringa Camp at boards two and five.
One to watch: WCM Camp Imogen A L (1947), one half of a genuine sister pairing on Wales's own roster.
Prediction: A modest but titled top two, lifted by the Camp sisters, gives Wales a competitive campaign in the lower half of the Western European field.
The regional picture, and the series in full
Western Europe closes this project with its heaviest concentration of elite talent: Germany, the Netherlands, France, and England occupy four of the top twelve overall seeds in the entire 46th Chess Olympiad, all four fielding complete five-grandmaster Open rosters, and each carrying its own genuine storyline, the Svane brothers, the Van Foreest siblings, Vachier-Lagrave's veteran leadership, and Bodhana Sivanandan's rise. Switzerland's Alexandra Kosteniuk adds a further link to the game's history at the top of the women's field. Austria, Belgium, and Scotland provide solid, professionally titled depth through the middle of the group, while Wales closes out not just this piece but the entire series, fittingly, with one more family story, the Camp sisters, echoing a theme that has run through this project from Africa through Oceania, the Americas, Asia, and now every corner of Europe.
