Chess Olympiad: India men lose to Uzbekistan, surrendering a single lead

The Indians suffered their first defeat at the Chess Olympiad when they lost 1.5–2.5 to hosts Uzbekistan in the sixth round as the defending champions lost their only lead in the open section.

Uzbekistan entered the match as one of the strongest teams in the field and the match lived up to its billing as a clash between the tournament’s two leading teams. The Indian top board saw R Praggnanandhaa draw against Nodirbek Abdusattorov while Arjun Erigaisi was also held by Javokhir Sindarov.

D Gukesh, playing on the fourth recordtied with Shamsiddin Vokhidov to maintain parity in their individual competition.

The decisive result came on the third board, where Nodirbek Yakubboev defeated Nihal Sarin. Sarin had some impressive performances in the tournament prior to Monday’s round, but struggled to play Yakubboev.

The Uzbek player took advantage of Sarin’s unforced errors and eventually reached a queen endgame against two pieces. From there, Yakubboev maintained control and did not allow Sarin a way back into the game.

With three draws and one defeat, India lost the round 1.5-2.5. The result also cost the defending champions top spot, giving Uzbekistan sole possession of the lead.

India remained on 10 points, while Uzbekistan moved to 12. Germany, another of the overnight leaders, also lost to China, further strengthening Uzbekistan’s position at the top of the open section.

The Indian women, meanwhile, were in a stronger position in their sixth round match against the United States. They were leading 2-1 with Savitha Shri securing the team’s only win of the round at the time of reporting. Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh both drew their games.

For the Indian men, the defeat leaves room for an equalizer in the remaining rounds. The loss was particularly telling after their strong start, with Uzbekistan now holding a lead at the top of the table.

The result in the sixth round also underlined the narrow lead at the top of the Olympics, where the result of a single match can significantly change the standings. India will now have to bounce back from the setback in the next rounds as the defending champions look to stay in contention.

Results (open 6th round): R Praggnanandhaa drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov; Arjun Erigaisi drew with Javokhir Sindarov; Nihal Sarin lost to Nodirbek Yakubboev; D Gukesh drew with Shamsiddin Vokhidov).

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Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

21 Sep 2026 23:49 IST