Dominance at 45th Chess Olympiad: India Takes the Lead
At the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, India has made a remarkable stride. The Indian men's and women's teams successfully extended their unbeaten streak and emerged as the sole leaders with a perfect 12/12 score after Round 6. Arjun Erigaisi sealed his sixth consecutive win as the Indian men's team boxed out the hosts Hungary 3-1.
In the women's team, Divya Deshmukh was the only player to triumph but it was pivotal enough to secure victory over Armenia - the team which had surprisingly defeated the daunting China team on the previous day - with a 2.5-1.5 score.
Erigaisi, the unscathed player in the open section (men's), reaffirmed his elevated game by beating Russian-now-Hungarian Sjugirov Sanan while playing black. On the top board, D Gukesh achieved an effortless draw as black against Richard Rapport, and Praggnanandhaa drew with Peter Leko, successfully circumventing defeat. Vidit Gujrathi cemented India's singular lead with a win against Benjamin Gledura, as the Chinese were held to a draw by the ardent Vietnamese team, resulting in a satisfying 2-2 result.
In the women's side, Divya's triumphant showcase over Elena Danielian with white pieces handed India the early advantage, thereby facilitating the unbeaten start. D Harika and R Vaishali played to a draw against Lilit Mkrtchian and Mariyam Mkrtchyan respectively. Despite leading 2-1, Tania Sachdev, unfortunately, could not capitalise on her advantageous position, resulting in a draw on the fourth board with Anna Sargasyan.
After a rest day, the next round will see the Indian men's team pitted against China, while the women’s team will challenge Georgia. Both oppositions are joint second with 11 points so far. Proving intriguing, the India vs China encounter could preview a World Championship level match as Gukesh may possibly face off against Ding Liren.
