India's chess prowess shone brightly at the 46th Chess Olympiad, as the men's and women's teams secured impressive victories against England and Germany respectively, showcasing strong individual performances from stars like R Praggnanandhaa, Dukesh, and Koneru Humpy.
Key Points
- India's men's chess team defeated England in the 46th Chess Olympiad's seventh round.
- R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh secured significant victories for the men's team.
- The Indian women's team achieved a decisive 3.5-0.5 win against Germany.
- Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh and Savitha Shri contributed to the women's team's success.
- D Gukesh continues his strong form, aiming for a third consecutive Olympiad gold medal.
The Indian men's team came up with an inspired effort to beat England, while their women crushed Germany, in the seventh round of the 46th Chess Olympiad.
On the top board, R Praggnanandhaa showed the way with a clinical victory over Nikita Vituigov, while, on the fourth, World champion D Gukesh remained invincible as he won another game.
For Gukesh, the board number does not seem important. Having won the last two gold medals playing for India on the top board, the Indian ace is looking good for a third straight gold, even on board four.
Key Victories For India
The defeat on board three for Nihal Sarin against Luke McShane did not matter much for the Indian team, although it seems Vidit Gujrathi has to come back into the scheme of things.
Any hopes the German women's team had were quashed in the first hour.
Koneru Humpy may be a veteran, but her class shone through as she made short work of board one.
Vaishali, still struggling, drew on the second board while Divya Deshmukh won on the third to ensure an Indian victory. A little later, Savitha Shri scored her fifth win in as many games to give the team a 3.5-0.5 win.
Praggnanandhaa was at his tactical best as he outsmarted a senior opponent, best known for his opening geometry. Once out of bound, the Indian hit on the queenside with all his forces and was rewarded in no time.
Gukesh, too, latched on a singular king side attack and had little to worry.
