Indian Men’s Team Dominates Azerbaijan in 45th Chess Olympiad, Harika Stumbles in Women’s Section

Indian Men’s Chess Team Continues Dominance at Chess Olympiad in Budapest

The Indian men’s chess team continued their impressive run at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, securing a crucial victory against Azerbaijan in the fifth round. Led by World Championship challenger D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaise, the team scored 2.5 points out of a possible three, maintaining a clean slate with ten points in total.

Gukesh and Arjun displayed exceptional skills as they defeated their opponents with ease, while Praggnanandhaa secured a draw on board two. The team’s victory was sealed regardless of the outcome of Vidit Gujrathi’s match against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.

Vietnam also impressed with a 2.5-1.5 victory over Poland, joining India at the top of the leaderboard. China and Hungary were also on track for victories in their respective matches.

In the women’s section, Grandmaster D Harika suffered a surprising defeat against Kazakhstan, giving them an early lead. However, Vantika Agarwal and Xeniya Balabayeva contributed to the team’s performance with a win and a draw, respectively. Grandmaster R Vaishali came close to securing another win for India.

With the team likely to join Armenia and Mongolia at the top of the standings with 10 points, Indian chess fans have much to look forward to in the remaining rounds of the Olympiad.