In a commanding performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad, India’s men’s and women’s teams emerged victorious in round five. The Indian men’s team secured a 3-1 victory over Azerbaijan in the open section, while the women’s team edged out Kazakhstan 2.5-1.5.
In the open section, Grandmaster (GM) D. Gukesh delivered a convincing win against GM Aydin Suleymanli after his opponent lost a pawn and weakened his position. Gukesh, the World Championship Challenger, capitalized on his advantage and was the first to clinch a win for India on the top board.
GM Arjun Erigaisi extended his stellar form with his fifth consecutive victory, outplaying GM Rauf Mamedov in an endgame with the white pieces. Meanwhile, GM Praggnanandhaa held his ground for a comfortable draw against GM Nijat Abasov with the black pieces. GM Vidit Gujrathi had a winning opportunity but missed his chance, eventually settling for a draw.
With this result, the Indian men’s team continues to dominate the leaderboard in the open section.
In the women’s section, GM Harika Dronavalli suffered a tough loss against IM Bibisara Assaubayeva on the top board after a highly dynamic game. However, GM R. Vaishali brought India back into contention with a crucial victory over IM Meruert Kamalidenova on board two. IM Vantika Agrawal contributed another win, defeating WIM Alua Nurman on board four. IM Divya Deshmukh secured a draw against WIM Xeniya Balabayeva, helping the Indian women’s team seal a narrow victory.