Chess Olympiad: Gukesh’s Victory Leads India to Triumph Over China; Women’s Team Defeats Georgia to Stay Unbeaten

Dommaraju Gukesh, the World Chess Championship Final Challenger, delivered an impressive performance under time pressure, securing the sole win for India as they triumphed over third-seeded China in the seventh round of the Open section at the 45th Chess Olympiad on Wednesday.

The Indian women’s team also continued their winning streak, with Vaishali Rameshbabu and Vantika Agarwal clinching victories with the black pieces to help India defeat a strong Georgia team 3-1. Georgia, a former Olympiad champion from 2008, posed a significant challenge.

Both the Indian men’s and women’s teams remain unbeaten, amassing a total of 14 points and leading the standings after seven rounds.

In the Open section, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Hungary all made a comeback by winning their respective matches. Iran narrowly defeated Vietnam, who had previously stunned China, with a score of 2.5-1.5. Hungary achieved a similar victory over Lithuania, while Uzbekistan triumphed over Ukraine 3-1.

The much-anticipated clash between India and China drew considerable attention, though fans were disappointed when reigning World Champion Ding Liren was rested by the Chinese team. Gukesh became the star of the match, defeating top Chinese Grandmaster Wei Yi on the first board.

In a tightly contested game, Gukesh initially held a slight edge but faced a strong counter from Wei. Nevertheless, Gukesh made several precise moves to regain the advantage, eventually winning after 80 moves in a complex finish, capitalizing on a few loose moves from his opponent.

Notably, this round marked the end of Arjun Erigaisi’s perfect record, though he remains unbeaten after drawing with Bu Xiangzhi, a former top-10 player. R Praggnanandhaa also drew with Yu Yangi, while Pentala Harikrishna, stepping in for Vidit Gujarathi, was held to a draw by the lower-rated Wang Yue.

In the women’s section, the Indian team achieved their seventh consecutive win against Georgia. Vaishali secured a victory over International Master Lela Javakhishvili, and Vantika overcame the higher-rated Bella Khotenashvilli. Dronavalli Harika drew with Nana Dzagnidze on the first board, while Divya Deshmukh also drew with Nino Batsiashvili. However, the wins by Vaishali and Vantika ensured the Indian women maintained their unbeaten record.