New Delhi: India’s bid to strengthen its position at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad hit a setback on Thursday as the defending champions’ men’s and women’s teams drew 2-2 in the eighth round in Samarkand.
The results kept India in joint second place in both sections, with the race for the top positions remaining tightly contested.
In the Open section, India collected one match point from the draw against Azerbaijan to take its total to 13. Uzbekistan, which had been leading the standings, also suffered a surprise 2.5-1.5 defeat against Germany and now shares the top position with the hosts on 14 match points.
India fielded R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi against Azerbaijan, but none could secure a win. Vidit returned to the lineup in place of Nihal Sarin, according to reports.
The most closely watched encounter was between world champion D Gukesh and Azerbaijan’s Muradli Mahammad. Playing White in a Sicilian Najdorf, Gukesh took an ambitious approach but was unable to convert his chances after Muradli defended accurately.
The game eventually reached a queenless endgame, where Muradli strengthened his position by controlling the centre and activating his king. Gukesh attempted to generate counterplay on the queenside, but the Azerbaijani held firm. After 56 moves and intense time pressure, the players agreed to a draw.
Praggnanandhaa also settled for a draw against experienced Azerbaijani player Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Arjun Erigaisi was held by Aydin Suleymanli with the white pieces, while Vidit drew against Rauf Mamedov.
Germany’s victory over Uzbekistan reshaped the top of the Open standings. Frederik Svane defeated Nodirbek Yakubboev, while Rasmus Svane beat Shamsiddin Vokhidov to help Germany secure the 2.5-1.5 win.
After eight rounds, Uzbekistan and Germany lead the Open section with 14 match points each. India, China, the Netherlands and the United States are among eight teams sharing second place with 13 points.
India’s women also missed the chance to move into the outright lead after Kazakhstan held the defending champions to a 2-2 draw.
Koneru Humpy drew with Bibisara Assaubayeva on the top board, while Divya Deshmukh was held by Meruert Kamalidenova. Both Humpy and Deshmukh played with the black pieces.
The biggest individual positive for India came from B Savitha Shri, who defeated Elnaz Kaliakhmet to register her seventh successive victory in the tournament. Her win came after Vaishali Rameshbabu lost to Nurman Alua, leaving India unable to secure the match victory.
Savitha Shri’s remarkable run has now produced seven wins from seven games, along with a rating performance of 2,955.
