indian-women-seal-7th-win-while-men-draw-at-chess-olympiad

The Indian women's chess team achieved an impressive 3-1 victory over Georgia at the 45th Chess Olympiad, keeping their unbeaten streak with seven consecutive wins.

 

Grandmaster R Vaishali and Vantika Agrawal delivered standout performances, defeating Lela Javakhishvili and Bella Khotenashvili, respectively.

 

In a day filled with intense matches, D Harika drew with Nana Dzagnidze, while Divya Deshmukh held Nino Batsiashvili in a favourable position. 

 

Notably, Vantika showcased exceptional time management, navigating nearly 20 moves with just a minute left on her clock before securing her win.

 

In the open section, the Indian men's team faced a more challenging day, drawing on the last three boards. D Gukesh, a World Championship finalist, was still trying to convert a drawn endgame against Wei Yi of China.

 

R Praggnanandhaa settled for a quick draw against Yangyi Yu of China. At the same time, P Harikrishna pressed for a win but ultimately reached an equal position in a rook and pawn endgame. 

 

Arjun Erigaisi sought a victory against Bu Xiangzhi, but the latter successfully sacrificed a piece to force a draw.