Chess Olympiad: Gukesh struggles, Indian teams continue unbeaten run

Defending champions India in both the open and women’s sections continued their winning run at the 46th Chess Olympiad on Thursday, although neither team had an easy time of it. Both sides claimed victories in the second round to move to four match points and stay top of the table.

Nihal Sarin once again proved to be India’s key player in the open section, securing his second win of the tournament. Facing Hafiz Arif Abdul with the white pieces, Nihal entered a sharp Sicilian battle and immediately sought to put pressure on the black king. There was a brief moment, however, when the Indian allowed a tactical opportunity that might have threatened his own king.

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Abdul failed to capitalize and the table quickly turned. The Malaysian player soon found his king exposed, with several pieces still on the board, and Nihal wasted no time converting his advantage.

Meanwhile, D Gukesh failed to register his maiden win at the Olympics. The reigning world champion playing for white was held to a draw by Indonesia’s Satria Duta Cahaya, who successfully neutralized India’s attempts at complications. Gukesh struggled to gain momentum while Cahaya responded precisely to his movements throughout the game.

The game eventually ended in a series of constant checks, leaving India 2-1 up and putting the onus on R Praggnanandhaa to ensure a comprehensive victory.

Praggnanandhaa pressed Susanto Megaranto hard but was unable to break through Indonesia’s resilient defence. The Indian eventually reached the end of the rook and pawn with an extra pawn after a long battle, but the position offered no real chance of winning. Both players settled for a draw after 79 moves, giving India a 2.5-1.5 victory.

The United States also held on for a close match in the open section, edging Mongolia by the same score of 2.5-1.5. Uzbekistan, the champions and hosts of the 2022 event, had a more comfortable exit, beating Peru 3.5–0.5.

The Indian women’s team produced a more convincing performance in their second round encounter. World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh made her first Olympic appearance with a win over Johanna Paasikangas on board two.

Vantika Agrawal maintained her perfect start as she beat Sara-Olivia Sippola to claim her second win in a row. B Savitha Shri also added another full point, beating Helja Lehtinen.

With India already 3-0 up, R Vaishali completed the team’s outing with a draw against Anastasia Keinanen to secure another win for the defending champions.

– The end

Published on:

17 Sep 2026 23:37 IST