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India’s men’s chess team beat Holland 3-1 at the 46th Chess Olympiad, with R Praggnanandhaa defeating Anish Giri. The women’s team lost 1.5-2.5 to Poland.
R Praggnanandhaa (Picture Credit: AFP)
India’s men’s team continued its dominant run at the 46th Chess Olympiad with a convincing 3-1 victory over Holland in the fifth round, while the top-seeded Indian women’s team suffered a narrow 1.5-2.5 defeat against Poland.
R Praggnanandhaa delivered his biggest performance of the tournament so far, defeating in-form Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri on the top board. Praggnanandhaa had begun the Olympiad with three draws against lower-ranked opponents but produced a composed display when India needed it most.
Playing white, Praggnanandhaa opted for a closed Ruy Lopez against Giri. The Dutchman briefly appeared to gain the upper hand after sacrificing a rook for a minor piece, but he soon surrendered that advantage and was left with an inferior endgame. Praggnanandhaa capitalised on the opportunity and converted the advantage in 58 moves.
World champion D Gukesh also registered his fourth win in five games, defeating Erwin L’Ami with the black pieces in 53 moves. The game emerged from a Sicilian Rossolimo, with L’Ami committing an error in a position that was still playable. Gukesh navigated the ensuing complications effectively before steering the game into a winning endgame.
Arjun Erigaisi and Jorden Van Foreest played out a draw on the second board, while Nihal Sarin also settled for a draw against Loek Van Wely on the third.
The victory was India’s fifth in a row, keeping the defending champions firmly in contention for a second successive Olympiad gold after their triumph in Budapest in 2024.
India now share the top spot with Germany and Uzbekistan, with all three teams on 10 match points. Germany pulled off one of the day’s biggest upsets by beating top seeds USA 3-1, while Uzbekistan stunned eighth seeds Hungary 4-0.
There was disappointment for India’s women, who were beaten 1.5-2.5 by Poland. R Vaishali was the only Indian to suffer a defeat, going down to Aleksandra Maltsevskaya on the second board. Koneru Humpy drew with Oliwia Kiolbasa, Divya Deshmukh shared the point with Klaudia Kulon, and Vantika Agrawal drew against Monika Socko.
With six rounds still remaining, the Indian women’s team will now look to recover from the setback and remain in contention.
(With PTI Inputs)
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Ask News18At the 46th Chess Olympiad, the Indian men’s team secured a 3-1 victory over Holland, while the top-seeded women’s team suffered a narrow 1.5-2.5 defeat against Poland.
Ask News18September 20, 2026, 10:52 PM IST
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