Indian chess squads secure commanding victories in round three
Indian grandmasters delivered an impressive performance in round three of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. Both national sides registered convincing victories, maintaining their strong momentum early in the 11-round global tournament. India enters this event defending their historic double gold medals from the 2024 Chess Olympiad, adding high expectations to their current campaign.
World champion D Gukesh and Nihal Sarin led the men's team to a 3-1 victory against an all-Grandmaster Italian lineup. Gukesh returned to his top form, skillfully dismantling Sabino Brunello while playing with black pieces. Nihal secured another crucial full point by defeating Francesco Sonis. R Praggnanandhaa settled for a draw against Lorenzo Lodici on the top board. Similarly, Arjun Erigaisi managed to hold Luca Moroni Jr. to a draw after navigating through some tense moments on the board.
Koneru Humpy showcased excellent tactical play, guiding the women’s team to a dominant 3.5-0.5 victory over Greece. Humpy secured a one-sided win against Stavroula Tsolakidou, setting the tone for her teammates. Vantika Agrawal backed her up perfectly by defeating Ekaterini Pavlidou. On the final board, B Savitha Shri registered her third consecutive victory by beating Antonia Christodoulaki. Chess World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh closed out the scoring by earning a draw against Anastasia Avramidou. Eight rounds remain in this highly competitive tournament. Top teams will soon face direct clashes, raising the stakes significantly. Indian players face three important upcoming rounds that will likely determine their chances of securing another podium finish.
With Inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI
