India Men’s Team Draws with Uzbekistan, Ending Winning Streak at Chess Olympiad 2024

India men’s team winning streak at the Chess Olympiad 2024 came to an end after defending champion Uzbekistan handed it a 2-2 draw in the ninth round of the open section at the SYMA Sports and Conference Centre in Budapest, Hungary on Friday.

Despite the draw, D. Gukesh, R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and Vidit Gujrathi all played solid games to ensure India remains on top of the points table. World No. 5 Gukesh forced World No. 6 Nodirbek Abdusattorov for a three-fold repetition draw, while Vidit and Jakhongir Vakhidov quickly drew their match within the first 10 minutes.

Praggnanandhaa faced tremendous pressure from Javokhir Sindarov but managed to control the game and secure a draw. However, Arjun Erigaisi was unable to convert a better position against Shamsiddin Vokhidov, leaving him disappointed.

In the women’s team, India also drew their round 2-2 against the USA. Despite dropping Harika Dronvalli from the top board in favor of R. Vaishali, India couldn’t secure a win at board No. 1 as Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova punished Vaishali for overpressing.

Tania Sachdev drew from a favourable position against Alice Lee, while Divya Deshmukh shared the spoils with Carissa Yip in a solid game. Vantika Agrawal once again came to the rescue of the women’s team, converting a beautiful Ragozin Defence of Queen Gambit Declined game against Irina Krush.

With the draw, India slipped to second position in the women’s section with 15 match points, while Kazakhstan took the top spot with 16 match points and two rounds left to play.

In the open section, the Indian team still holds a two-match-point edge over the second-placed team, with the USA ranking second and Uzbekistan slipping to third place. The competition remains fierce as the Chess Olympiad 2024 continues in Budapest.