Indian Men’s and Women’s Chess Teams Dominate in First Round of 45th Chess Olympiad

Indian Chess Team Dominates in First Round of 45th Chess Olympiad

In a stellar display of skill and strategy, the Indian men’s and women’s chess teams emerged victorious in the first round of the 45th Chess Olympiad. R Praggnanandhaa set the tone on the top board for the men’s team as they blanked Morocco 4-0, while the women’s team romped home against Jamaica, conceding just a draw.

Praggnanandhaa, the young prodigy, delivered a strong performance against Tissir Mohamed in a Sicilian defense game, securing the first point for the team. Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, and P Harikrishna also pulled off comfortable wins to start off confidently.

In the women’s section, R Vaishali and Tania Sachdev scored fine victories, with Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agarwal facing stiff resistance but ultimately securing a win and a draw, respectively.

The top-seeded United States team also had a successful start, winning 3.5-0.5 against Panama. Armenian-American Levon Aronian played a crucial role in ensuring victory for the American team.

A total of 99 teams in the open section started off with wins, earning them two points each. The competition was fierce, with 182 teams paired up and 15 teams still vying to join the event in Budapest.

The second round will see the Indian men’s team facing Iceland, while the women’s team continues their quest for victory. With strong performances in the first round, the Indian chess teams have set a high standard for the rest of the competition.