Triumph and Setback at the Chess Olympiad 2024: Indian Teams Showcase Strength
The third round of the Chess Olympiad 2024 saw a mix of triumph and setback for Indian competitors. Harika Dronavalli, the country's top-ranked women's chess player, was handed a 1-0 loss by Switzerland's Alexandra Kosteniuk. Despite this, the rest of the Indian women's team demonstrated incredible resilience, helping the team to pull off a 3-1 win in the end.
Kosteniuk, who once held the title as world women's chess champion, capitalized on a misstep by Harika during the middle game, securing a full-point victory. The Indian women's team now ranks seventh, earning six match points so far in the contest.
The rest of the Indian women's team showcased formidable skills, overcoming their opponents with strategic brilliance. R Vaishali, for instance, used a technical playstyle to her advantage, achieving victory against Ghazal Hakimifard. Similarly, Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agarwal won against Sofiia Hryzlova and Mariia Manko respectively.
In the open section of the Chess Olympiad, the Indian men's team reigned supreme. With an impressive score of 3.5-0.5 against the host nation Hungary's B team, they displayed their dominance in the realm of chess. As it stands, the Indian men's team leads the open section, sharing an equal number of match points with the women's team.
Players like Arjun Erigaisi, D. Gukesh, and R. Praggnanandhaa contributed substantially to this victory. Erigaisi played an outstanding attacking game, finishing with a checkmate after a gutsy queen sacrifice. Meanwhile, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa delivered wins against Adam Kozak and Tamas Banusz respectively. Vidit Gujrathi rounded out the competition with a draw against Papp Gabor.
