The Indian men’s chess team continued its strong performance, moving closer to securing the country’s first-ever medal in the open category at the ongoing FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest on Saturday.
India won over the USA with a 2.5-1.5 victory in Round 10. D Gukesh, India’s FIDE Candidates tournament winner, started off with a crucial 1-0 win against Fabiano Caruana. Despite the talented R Praggnanadhaa suffering a rare defeat against Wesley So (0-1), India bounced back with Arjun Erigaisi’s 1-0 win against Leinier Perez, while Vidit Gujrathi drew with Levon Aronian (0.5-0.5).
Men’s team journey at the FIDE Chess Olympiad
The Indian men’s team, featuring Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, and P Harikrishna, has earned 19 points from ten rounds till now.
India had a flawless run, scoring 16 out of 16, before drawing with defending champions Uzbekistan on Friday, which earned them one point (a win gives two points). Against the Vladimir Kramnik-coached Uzbeks, all four individual matches — Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Vidit, and Arjun — ended in draws, leading to a 2-2 final score (scoring: 0.5 for a draw, 1 for a win, and 0 for a loss).
Player performances in men’s round
GM Gukesh D has been in top form at the Olympiad, starting with four consecutive wins, including a notable victory against China’s Wei Yi (27s62). He later drew with Hungary’s Richard Rapport (2715) and Uzbekistan’s Abdusattorov Nodirbek (2766) but secured a key win against GM Caruana Fabiano (2798), cementing his position as a top contender.
Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa R faced mixed results, starting strong but encountering a series of draws before suffering a defeat against USA’s GM Wesley So (2752). He is determined to bounce back in his upcoming match.
Arjun Erigaisi has had an impressive run with key wins over Azerbaijan’s Mamedov Rauf (2637) and USA’s Dominguez Perez Leinier (2748). Vidit Gujrathi has shown consistency throughout, with victories over high-ranked opponents like Azerbaijan’s Mamedyarov Shakhriyar (2733). Harikrishna Pentala started strong but faced tougher competition in the later rounds, including a draw against China’s GM Wang Yue (2637).
Indian women’s team performance at Chess Olympiad
The women’s team — Rameshbabu Vaishali, Harika Dronavalli, Vantika Agrawal, Tania Sachdev, and Divya Deshmukh — has accumulated 17 points from 10 rounds.
They had a perfect start, scoring 14 out of 14 in the first seven rounds, but lost to Poland in Round 8 (1.5-2.5). They rebounded with a crucial draw against the USA in Round 9. Vantika, needing a win with the black pieces to keep India in contention for the gold after trailing by half a point, played a brilliant attacking game to beat Irina Krush and level the match at 2-2.
Player performances in the Women’s Team
GM Harika Dronavalli has had a challenging tournament. After an early win against Movsesian Julia, she faced setbacks with losses to Kosteniuk Alexandra and Assaubayeva Bibisara. Harika secured draws against strong players like Mkrtchian Lilit and Dzagnidze Nana, but a loss to Kashlinskaya Alina and a draw with Zhu Jiner have defined her journey so far. She is now preparing to face Azerbaijan’s Mammadzada Gunay in her next match.
GM Vaishali Rameshbabu started her tournament with promising results, including wins over WGM Hakimifard Ghazal and IM Kamalidenova Meruert. A key victory against Georgia’s IM Javakhishvili Lela in round 7 showcased her form, though losses to Socko Monika and Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegim challenged her momentum. Vaishali is now looking ahead to her final match against Fataliyeva Ulviyya from Azerbaijan.
IM Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal have also delivered strong performances. Divya notched several important wins, including against Danielian Elina, and has positioned herself as a strong contender for a top finish. Vantika, after a solid comeback with a key win over Khotenashvili Bella, is looking to build on her success as she prepares for her final match against Balajayeva Khanim.
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