With the U.S. team, Cuban-American Grandmaster (GM) Leinier Domínguez has made history as the first person born in Cuba to secure a team medal at the Chess Olympiad. This milestone was achieved on Sunday in Budapest, Hungary, during the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad.
At the event, the Indian team clinched the gold medal with 21 points, finishing four points ahead of their nearest five competitors. The United States secured the silver medal with 17 points, while Uzbekistan took home the bronze.
Leinier Domínguez, affectionately known as the "Idol of Güines," became a U.S. citizen in 2018 and joined the American chess federation in the same year.
Recent Achievements
In October of last year, Domínguez (rating 2739) claimed second place at the U.S. Chess Championship after drawing against GM Hans Moke Niemann (rating 2674). His podium finish earned him a prize of $35,000.
By the end of that year, Domínguez was ranked among the top 10 chess players globally, a list led by Norwegian GM Magnus Carlsen, followed by American players Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura. Currently, Domínguez holds the 13th position in the world rankings with a rating of 2748 points.