The experienced Maritza Arribas and national champion Lelys Martínez lead the teams announced today to defend Cuba’s colors at the Samarkand Chess Olympiad 2026, which will take place in that Uzbek city from September 15 to 28.

A press release from the Cuban Chess Federation explained that the early formation of the teams is due to the country’s current economic situation, which prompted this unusual procedure. Furthermore, the team will receive financial support from FIDE to attend the competition.

Participation in the men’s and women’s national championships is usually a requirement for selection to the national teams; however, this time, only the men’s team could be called up. Therefore, for the women’s team, performances at previous Olympic Games were considered among other criteria.

Maritza will be joined this time by Yaniela Forgas, Yerisbel Miranda, Roxángel Obregón, and Ineymig Hernández, all of whom were also selected based on their results in other events and Elo ratings.

Lelys, who is enjoying his first national championship title, will be joined by Jorge Elías, Dylan Berdayes, Omar Almeida, and Ermes Espinosa.

Two years ago, the Olympic Games were held in Budapest, Hungary, and the Cuban teams finished with modest results. The men’s team placed 45th and the women’s 55th, leaving some disappointment, despite individual performances that always brighten the day.

Yerisbel stood out, participating in all 11 rounds and contributing 7.5 points, while Carlos Daniel Albornoz played well as the top board, achieving important draws against several higher-ranked players.

Albornoz is not among those called up this time because he has been away from the island for several months and did not participate in the national championship.