Uzbekistan Breaks India's Winning Streak at FIDE Chess Olympiad

At the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in the open section, Uzbekistan turned out to be the first team to interrupt India's winning streak, thus resulting in a draw where both teams secured two points each with four draws in their round 9 match.

Vantika Agrawal's crucial win for the women's team of India resulted in a draw in their game against the USA, thereby maintaining their contention for the top prize. Despite this draw, the Indian men's team still has a two-point lead, with 17 out of 18 points secured and just two more rounds remaining. On the other hand, the women's team are trailing behind Kazakhstan in overall points, with 15 out of 18 points.

In the match against Uzbekistan, the first draw was played out by Vidit Gujrathi, who faced Jakhongir Vakhidov and concluded the game with black pieces. D Gukesh was up against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, with no clear advantage on either side.

R. Praggnanandhaa faced a challenging situation against Javokhir Sindarov, but succeeded in defending well to secure a draw. Despite an early advantage against Shamsiddin Vokhidov, Arjun Erigaisi could not push through in the final stages of the game.

Next, India will face the top-seeded USA, and averting a loss would mean getting a step closer to winning the gold medal. Currently, USA stands right after India with 15 points, followed by Uzbekistan and China, each also having 15 points.

Furthermore, Vantika Agrawal significantly contributed to the women's team by defeating Irina Krush from the USA, allowing India to secure a 2-2 draw. R Vaishali lost to Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, and Divya Deskhmukh drew against Carissa Yip. Even though Tania Sachdev was in a favourable position, she could not find the best attacking moves and had to share points with Alice Lee. This left Vantika to balance the score, where she conducted her black pieces with heart and commitment, beating her higher-rated rival.

With this draw, India now has 15 points, putting them behind Kazakhstan with a total score of 16. Several teams, including China, Poland, USA, and Georgia, are on 14 points. The next round will see the women on board against China.