India Dominates at 45th Chess Olympiad

India's strong performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad continued as both the men's and women's team celebrated victories in their seventh-round ties. The men's team overpowered China in a complex match while the women's team resisted Georgia, rebounding from two swift draws in Budapest on Wednesday.

Amid all the action, D Gukesh of India emerged as the star of the day even though the eagerly awaited World Championship preview did not take place since China decided to rest the world champ Ding Liren for the crucial game. Regardless, Gukesh was entangled in an intense six-hour match against Wei Yi but emerged victorious after more than 70 moves.

Gukesh's win significantly impacted India's standing, sealing the overall win against China as the remaining three matches ended in a draw. R Praggnanandhaa and Yangyi Yu played out a rapid draw while P Harikrishna pushed for some time before the match culminated in an equal rook and pawn endgame.

Turning the focus on the other significant event of the day from India's perspective was the termination of Arjun Erigaisi's winning streak. The Indian player opted for a draw in an electrifying match against Bu Xiangzhi, considering the team's standing. Despite the draw, he manages to maintain his unbeaten streak in Budapest.

In the women's category, victories from R Vaishali and Vantika Agrawal, following D Harika and Divya Deshmukh's draws, sustained India's winning streak. Vantika managed her time pressure admirably, pulling off nearly 20 moves in about one minute to secure a triumph against Bella Khotenashvili.

Vaishali later concluded the day with an impressive technical victory against Lela Javakhishvili. Meanwhile, Divya staved off a fierce challenge from Nino Batsiashvili to earn a draw. Harika was also forced to accept a draw against Nana Dzagnidze. 

The Indian men's team will face Iran next, with the women's team squaring off against Poland, as both aim to continue their unbeaten streak post this challenging Wednesday.