India Maintains Clean Slate in 45th Chess Olympiad, Men Drop First Point

India Maintains Clean Slate at 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest

In an impressive display of skill and strategy, the Indian men’s team continued their winning streak at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. Despite dropping their first point in a match against Hungary ‘B’, the Indian men bounced back with a convincing 3.5-0.5 victory.

The standout performance of the day came from Arjun Erigaise, who showcased brilliant attacking play against Peter Prohazska, ultimately securing a checkmate with a queen sacrifice. While Vidit Gujrathi settled for a draw against Papp Gabor, D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa secured wins against their opponents, Adam Kozak and Tamas Banusz, respectively.

In the women’s section, a shock defeat for D. Harika on the top board was overcome by stellar performances from R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agarwal. Despite Harika’s loss to Alexandra Kosteniuk, the Indian girls secured a 3-1 victory to maintain their joint lead in the competition.

The day also saw a major upset as fifth seed Holland was defeated by Italy 1-3 in the open section, with top Dutch star Anish Giri suffering a loss that led to their team’s downfall.

With 16 teams sharing the lead with six points each in both the men’s and women’s sections, the competition remains fierce. The Indian men will face off against Serbia in the next round, while the women’s team is set to take on France.

Overall, the Indian contingent at the Chess Olympiad continues to impress, with strong performances and a determination to maintain their winning momentum in the rounds to come.