The Indian men’s and women’s chess teams continued their impressive performances at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, securing their second successive victories. Both teams showcased their dominance, with the men clinching a perfect 4-0 victory over Iceland, while the women triumphed 3.5-0.5 against the Czech Republic.
Indian Men dominate Iceland
In the open section, the Indian men’s team carried forward the momentum from their 4-0 win over Morocco in Round 1, defeating Iceland with the same emphatic scoreline in Round 2. Despite resting star player Praggnanandhaa, the team remained strong, with Gukesh stepping in to face GM Vatnar Stefansson.
D Gukesh faced early pressure, particularly being under time constraints, but displayed remarkable composure to outplay his opponent, securing India’s first point. Arjun Erigaisi followed suit with a creative “pawn stacking” strategy against GM Hannes Stefansson, overwhelming his opponent and extending India’s lead to 2-0.
Vidit Gujarati’s flawless play against Hilmir Freyr Heimisson further boosted India’s tally to 3-0. Finally, GM Pentala Harikrishna sealed the 4-0 clean sweep by outclassing Helgi Ass Gretarsson, delivering another strong victory for India in the tournament.
Indian Women overcome Czech Republic
The Indian women’s team replicated their stellar form from Round 1, registering another convincing win, this time against the Czech Republic. The match ended 3.5-0.5 in India’s favour, mirroring their scoreline from the previous round.
Tania Sachdev faced a tough challenge and was held to a draw by Martina Korenova, but her teammates stepped up. Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal put India in a commanding position, defeating Natalie Kanakova and Tereza Rodshtein, respectively, taking the score to 2-0.
Dronavalli Harika sealed the victory for the Indian women with a hard-fought win over Julia Movsesian, bringing the final score to 3.5-0.5.
India’s strong start at Chess Olympiad
With both teams performing strongly, India looks well-positioned to continue its winning streak in the Olympiad. The men’s team, buoyed by their clean sweeps, is showcasing great depth, while the women are proving resilient, maintaining their dominant form.
As the tournament progresses, India will look to build on these successive wins and establish themselves as strong contenders for the title in both categories.
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