Matthias Bluebaum commented on his performance at the Chess Olympiad 2026. Bluebaum says that he is not happy with the level of his play. Matthias notes that winning a medal was a big goal for his team. Bluebaum spoke about it in an interview with a correspondent from the Chess with Mustreader channel.

Matthias Bluebaum

Matthias Bluebaum

Germany's No. 2

“[Question: You previously said that you hated how you played. Does your team’s result make you feel a bit better?]

I still think I played pretty terrible the whole tournament. I just got lucky that my opponent blundered in the last round. So, it doesn’t change all that much. Like I’m not happy with my play in general.

[What is your feeling on Germany securing the medal?]

That’s an amazing result, of course. A medal was the big goal. We lost two matches so we couldn’t compete for gold, but of course getting a medal is also a great result.”

The Chess Olympiad 2026 took place from September 16 to 27 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Germany team finished the tournament in 3rd place with 18 points. Germany received its 4th bronze medal in the history of the event. Germany won the Olympiad in 1939 and won silver in 2000.

Credit: Michal Walusza / FIDE