46th Chess Olympiad · Samarkand 2026 · Women's section

Wales Women at the 2026 Chess Olympiad

Wales Women have been the strongest Home Nations overperformer against seed so far. They started 85th and sit 69th after six rounds, with three wins, one draw and two defeats. Round 6's draw with Lithuania included two Welsh rating upsets.

Starting seed85
After Round 669
Match points7
Game points13½
Match record3W 1D 2L

Squad

Player scores through Round 6

PlayerRatingGWDLScore%
Imogen Camp WCM 1947 5 3 0 2 3 60%
Olivia Smith WFM 2039 5 3 0 2 3 60%
Susanna Fraser 1785 5 3 0 2 3 60%
Emma Kong 1874 5 2 1 2 50%
Syringa Camp 1713 4 2 0 2 2 50%

Tournament trajectory

Position after each round

RoundRankMPGP
Round 1 74 2 4
Round 2 98 2 4
Round 3 76 4 8
Round 4 107 4 8
Round 5 83 6 11½
Round 6 69 7 13½

Round 1

Wales 4–0 Chad

After R1: 74th

Four boards, four wins. Wales opened with a 4-0 sweep of Chad.

BoardWalesOpponentTeam resultGame result
1 Imogen Camp
Black · 1947
Mahamat Bagamla Aicha
Unrated
Win 0-1
2 Emma Kong
White · 1874
Ali Moustapha Fatime
Unrated
Win 1-0
3 Susanna Fraser
Black · 1785
Mahamat Bagamla Hourra
Unrated
Win 0-1
4 Syringa Camp
White · 1713
Ali Moustapha Zouleikha
Unrated
Win 1-0
Board 1 Imogen Camp vs Mahamat Bagamla Aicha Win

Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Intermezzo Variation · Black · 1947 vs Unrated

Imogen Camp already had some pressure, but Mahamat Bagamla Aicha's 8.c3 turned it into a clear advantage. Qd4 was the tougher defence.

Board 2 Emma Kong vs Ali Moustapha Fatime Win

English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian · White · 1874 vs Unrated

Ali Moustapha Fatime was under pressure before 9...c5; that move made the position much harder and Emma Kong took over. c6 was the tougher defence.

Board 3 Susanna Fraser vs Mahamat Bagamla Hourra Win

King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation · Black · 1785 vs Unrated

Mahamat Bagamla Hourra gave Susanna Fraser the opening with 21.Qd1. The game had been close; it was not close afterwards. Ra3 was the tougher defence.

Board 4 Syringa Camp vs Ali Moustapha Zouleikha Win

Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit · White · 1713 vs Unrated

The position was still playable until Ali Moustapha Zouleikha played 6...d6. That was the point it tipped decisively towards Syringa Camp. Nf6 was the tougher defence.

Round 2

Wales 0–4 Canada

After R2: 98th

A hard round for Wales. Canada won all four boards.

BoardWalesOpponentTeam resultGame result
1 Olivia Smith
Black · 2039
Maili-Jade Ouellet
2260
Loss 1-0
2 Imogen Camp
White · 1947
Yunshan Li
2228
Loss 0-1
3 Emma Kong
Black · 1874
Svitlana Demchenko
2166
Loss 1-0
4 Susanna Fraser
White · 1785
Hanxi (Hancy) Jiang
1908
Loss 0-1
Board 1 Olivia Smith vs Maili-Jade Ouellet Loss

King's Indian Defense: Karpov System · Black · 2039 vs 2260

Olivia Smith's 58...Nb6 with 2:44 left was the break in the game. There had been little in it; after that Maili-Jade Ouellet had a clear advantage. Nc3 was the tougher defence.

Board 2 Imogen Camp vs Yunshan Li Loss

Slav Defense: Exchange Variation · White · 1947 vs 2228

Imogen Camp's 52.Rb8 was the break in the game. There had been little in it; after that Yunshan Li had a clear advantage. Rd7 was the tougher defence.

Board 3 Emma Kong vs Svitlana Demchenko Loss

Dutch Defense: Semi-Leningrad Variation · Black · 1874 vs 2166

Svitlana Demchenko already had some pressure, but Emma Kong's 17...b6 turned it into a clear advantage. e6 was the tougher defence.

Board 4 Susanna Fraser vs Hanxi (Hancy) Jiang Loss

Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation · White · 1785 vs 1908

Hanxi (Hancy) Jiang already had some pressure, but Susanna Fraser's 17.Rh2 turned it into a clear advantage. Bh7+ was the tougher defence.

Round 3

Wales 4–0 Kosovo

After R3: 76th

No drama in the scoreline. Wales beat Kosovo 4-0.

BoardWalesOpponentTeam resultGame result
1 Olivia Smith
White · 2039
Jona Recica
1740
Win 1-0
2 Imogen Camp
Black · 1947
Rinesa Saraci
1729
Win 0-1
3 Emma Kong
White · 1874
Ndriqona Saraci
1644
Win 1-0
4 Susanna Fraser
Black · 1785
Binela Karadolami
1489
Win 0-1
Board 1 Olivia Smith vs Jona Recica Win

Four Knights Game · White · 2039 vs 1740

Olivia Smith already had some pressure, but Jona Recica's 6...Bc5 turned it into a clear advantage. Ba5 was the tougher defence.

Board 2 Imogen Camp vs Rinesa Saraci Win

Ruy Lopez: Closed, Pilnik Variation · Black · 1947 vs 1729

Rinesa Saraci was under pressure before 33.Ree2; that move made the position much harder and Imogen Camp took over. Bxe5 was the tougher defence.

Board 3 Emma Kong vs Ndriqona Saraci Win

English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Full Symmetry Line · White · 1874 vs 1644

Emma Kong already had some pressure, but Ndriqona Saraci's 14...a6 turned it into a clear advantage. Qf5 was the tougher defence.

Board 4 Susanna Fraser vs Binela Karadolami Win

Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System · Black · 1785 vs 1489

Susanna Fraser already had some pressure, but Binela Karadolami's 30.Nde4 turned it into a clear advantage. Nd1 was the tougher defence.

Round 4

Wales 0–4 Colombia

After R4: 107th

Four decisive games, all the wrong way for Wales. Colombia won 4-0.

BoardWalesOpponentTeam resultGame result
1 Olivia Smith
Black · 2039
Valentina Argote Heredia
2181
Loss 1-0
2 Imogen Camp
White · 1947
Ingris Rivera
2102
Loss 0-1
3 Emma Kong
Black · 1874
Jorcerys Montilla Reyes
2094
Loss 1-0
4 Syringa Camp
White · 1713
Beatriz Irene Franco Valencia
2038
Loss 0-1
Board 1 Olivia Smith vs Valentina Argote Heredia Loss

Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack · Black · 2039 vs 2181

Olivia Smith's 20...Be6 was the break in the game. There had been little in it; after that Valentina Argote Heredia had a clear advantage. Ne6 was the tougher defence.

Board 2 Imogen Camp vs Ingris Rivera Loss

King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Gligoric-Taimanov System · White · 1947 vs 2102

Imogen Camp's 48.Rd4 was the break in the game. There had been little in it; after that Ingris Rivera had a clear advantage. Nd4 was the tougher defence.

Board 3 Emma Kong vs Jorcerys Montilla Reyes Loss

Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation · Black · 1874 vs 2094

Emma Kong gave Jorcerys Montilla Reyes the opening with 38...Kg8 with 2:55 left. The game had been close; it was not close afterwards. Rb7 was the tougher defence.

Board 4 Syringa Camp vs Beatriz Irene Franco Valencia Loss

Caro-Kann Defense · White · 1713 vs 2038

Syringa Camp was under pressure before 23.Rae1; that move made the position much harder and Beatriz Irene Franco Valencia took over. Nf1 was the tougher defence.

Round 5

Wales 3½–½ Haiti

After R5: 83rd

Three wins and a draw gave Wales a comfortable 3.5-0.5 win over Haiti.

BoardWalesOpponentTeam resultGame result
1 Olivia Smith
White · 2039
Rose Berline Seine
1831
Win 1-0
2 Emma Kong
Black · 1874
Merisena Cadeau
1704
Draw 1/2-1/2
3 Susanna Fraser
White · 1785
Davena Jonet
1643
Win 1-0
4 Syringa Camp
Black · 1713
Kineberlie Dunat
1582
Win 0-1
Board 1 Olivia Smith vs Rose Berline Seine Win

Scotch Game: Göring Gambit · White · 2039 vs 1831

The decisive shift came when Rose Berline Seine played 9...Ne7. Olivia Smith took control and did not give it back. Be7 was the tougher defence.

Board 2 Emma Kong vs Merisena Cadeau Draw

Dutch Defense: Queen's Knight Variation · Black · 1874 vs 1704

Emma Kong needed an escape and got one when Merisena Cadeau played 24.Ra2. The advantage vanished, and the draw was there from that point. exf5 was the better way to keep the pressure on.

Board 3 Susanna Fraser vs Davena Jonet Win

Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation · White · 1785 vs 1643

The position was still playable until Davena Jonet played 31...d4. That was the point it tipped decisively towards Susanna Fraser. b6 was the tougher defence.

Board 4 Syringa Camp vs Kineberlie Dunat Win

Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations · Black · 1713 vs 1582

Kineberlie Dunat gave Syringa Camp the opening with 36.Qc6. The game had been close; it was not close afterwards. Kd2 was the tougher defence.

Round 6

Wales 2–2 Lithuania

After R6: 69th

Four decisive games and two each. Wales and Lithuania finished 2-2.

BoardWalesOpponentTeam resultGame result
1 Olivia Smith
Black · 2039
Salomeja Zaksaite
2101
Win 0-1
2 Imogen Camp
White · 1947
Gabija Simkunaite
2035
Win 1-0
3 Susanna Fraser
Black · 1785
Simona Limontaite
2130
Loss 1-0
4 Syringa Camp
White · 1713
Agne Mickunaite
1977
Loss 0-1
Board 1 Olivia Smith vs Salomeja Zaksaite Win

Bishop's Opening: Paulsen Defense · Black · 2039 vs 2101

The position was still playable until Salomeja Zaksaite played 26.Bg3. That was the point it tipped decisively towards Olivia Smith. Rf1 was the tougher defence. A 62-point rating upset.

Board 2 Imogen Camp vs Gabija Simkunaite Win

Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation · White · 1947 vs 2035

Gabija Simkunaite's 29...Kh7 with 2:18 left was the break in the game. There had been little in it; after that Imogen Camp had a clear advantage. Rf8 was the tougher defence. A 88-point rating upset.

Board 3 Susanna Fraser vs Simona Limontaite Loss

Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation · Black · 1785 vs 2130

Susanna Fraser's 29...Nxf4 with 59 seconds left was the break in the game. There had been little in it; after that Simona Limontaite had a clear advantage. Rd8 was the tougher defence.

Board 4 Syringa Camp vs Agne Mickunaite Loss

Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted · White · 1713 vs 1977

Syringa Camp gave Agne Mickunaite the opening with 13.Bxf6. The game had been close; it was not close afterwards. Bf4 was the tougher defence.

Sources and method. Match scores, pairings, ratings and standings are taken from Chess-Results. Game commentary is based on the supplied Olympiad PGNs and their embedded engine evaluations. Engine labels are used as evidence for the identified turning points; they are not presented as comments made by the players.