The Indian men’s team has taken a significant step closer to achieving their first-ever victory at the Chess Olympiad after their draw with defending champions Uzbekistan in Round 9 of the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. Meanwhile, the women’s team of India secured a draw against the USA but dropped from the top position in the rankings.
The Indian men’s team’s outstanding winning streak came to an end in Round 9 when they were held to a 2-2 draw by defending champions Uzbekistan. While D. Gukesh, R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and Vidit Gujrathi all drew their games, their collective effort has enabled India to retain their top position in the points table.
On the other hand, the Indian women’s team played a 2-2 draw against the USA. On the top board, R. Vaishali suffered a defeat to Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova. Tania Sachdev drew against Alice Lee in a closely contested match. Divya Deshmukh played a resilient game to share the points with Carissa Yip. Vantika Agrawal emerged as a savior for the women’s team, securing a commendable victory against Irina Krush.
Additionally, the draw resulted in India dropping to second place with 15 points, while Kazakhstan took the lead with 16 points after their 2.5-1.5 victory over Poland. In the men’s section, the Indian team still maintains the top position with 17 points, holding a two-match-point edge over the second-placed teams, which include USA, Uzbekistan, and China, all tied at 15 points.
The Round 10 matches for both the men’s and women’s teams will be played on Saturday. The men’s team will face the USA, while the women’s team will compete against China. The tournament, consisting of 11 rounds, will wrap up on Sunday.