Defending champions India returned to winning ways at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand on Wednesday, edging England 2.5–1.5 in the open section behind victories from world champion D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa, while the women’s team crushed Germany 3.5–0.5 with wins from Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh and Savitha Shri B.
Open section: rebound after Uzbekistan loss
India had stumbled in Round 6, falling 1.5–2.5 to hosts Uzbekistan after the rest day. Round 7 paired India against an England squad featuring Nikita Vitiugov on top board and veteran Michael Adams. Praggnanandhaa beat Vitiugov; Gukesh won on board four against the English lineup listed in pre-match pairings. Arjun Erigaisi drew with Adams, while Nihal Sarin lost to Luke McShane—the sole English half-point beyond draws.
The team match win lifted India to 12 match points from seven rounds with six wins and one loss, third in the open standings behind perfect Uzbekistan and the Netherlands on tiebreak, according to India Today and Chess.com tables.
Women: Germany swept aside
Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh and teenage debutant Savitha Shri delivered wins; R Vaishali drew with Elisabeth Paehtz on a top board that paired experience against experience. Savitha extended a 6.0/6 start in her first Olympiad, a run Indian Express reporters highlighted as a breakout storyline in the women’s defence of gold.
The 3.5–0.5 scoreline kept India among the chasing pack in the women’s section, where China and Kazakhstan shared leads after their drawn match ended both teams’ perfect records.
Tournament context
Uzbekistan beat China 3–1 in Round 7 to remain the only open team with seven wins from seven, led by Nodirbek Abdusattorov’s win over Ding Liren on board one in a clash of world champions. India’s path to another title likely requires beating one of the co-leaders in the Swiss-system closing rounds; with 11 rounds total, margin for error is thin.
FIDE’s format awards two match points for a team win and one for a draw, with board points breaking ties—meaning India’s +1 margin against England was enough without a whitewash.
Schedule ahead
Round 8 was set for Thursday in Samarkand, with Indian fans tracking pairings released on the official Olympiad portal overnight. Coaches have rotated Divya Deshmukh into the women’s lineup when form merited, signalling depth beyond the established top boards.
For India’s sports desk, Wednesday was the night the open team stopped the bleeding and the women kept pace with the leaders—Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa delivering when the ledger demanded, and Savitha Shri proving the roster is deeper than the headline names.
All India Chess Federation officials in Samarkand posted quick highlights on social channels, but the official FIDE live broadcast carried the match for global audiences—useful for sponsors tracking India’s brand at a home continent Olympiad where Uzbekistan’s perfect run has become the story line to beat.