It was a day of mixed results for India in Round 8 of the 45th Chess Olympiad currently underway in Budapest, Hungary. The Indian men’s team continued impressive form, defeating Asian Games champions Iran, maintaining their winning streak. However, the women’s team suffered their first setback, losing to Poland.
Indian men’s team’s impressive winning streak continued with a decisive 3.5-0.5 victory against a strong Iran team. D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and Vidit Gujrathi secured dominating victories, with R. Praggnanandhaa playing out his fifth consecutive draw. This marked the eighth consecutive win for the Indian men’s team in the competition.
After 8 rounds, India’s men’s team maintains the lead with a flawless score of 16 points. Uzbekistan and Hungary are in close pursuit, each with 14 points, while China, USA, and Iran are tied at 13 points.
Meanwhile, the Indian women’s team suffered their first loss after successful seven consecutive rounds, losing to the Polish team 1.5-2.5. Monika Socko secured a win against R. Vaishali while D. Harika lost the game to Alina Kashlinskaya. Vantika Agrawal settled for a draw, with the lone victory in the women’s section coming from Divya Deshmukh.
India’s women’s team, who were previously the sole leaders after round 7, are now joint leaders. They are tied with Poland and Kazakhstan, each holding 14 points. The USA, Armenia, and Ukraine follow closely behind with 13 points each.
Both the men’s and women’s teams are set for Round 9 matches on Friday. The men’s team will face Uzbekistan, while the women’s team will contend with the United States. The tournament, consisting of 11 rounds, is scheduled to conclude on Sunday.