Stories
Indian Men's Chess Team Falls to Uzbekistan in Olympiad Clash
- •The Indian men's chess team, reigning champions, lost to Uzbekistan 1.5-2.5 in the sixth round of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.
- •Nihal Sarin suffered a decisive loss to Nodirbek Yakubboev, marking the only non-draw result in the match.
- •R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and D Gukesh all played out draws in their respective matches.
- •This loss caused the Indian men to lose their lead, remaining on 10 points, while Uzbekistan advanced to 12 points and took the sole lead.
- •The Indian eves, however, were leading 2-1 against the USA, with Savitha Shri securing a victory.
Key Questions Answered
The reigning champion Indian men's team suffered a 1.5-2.5 defeat against a spirited local side from Uzbekistan during the sixth round in Samarkand. Nodirbek Yakubboev secured the decisive win by defeating Nihal Sarin on the third board, while matches involving R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and D Gukesh all ended in draws.
As a result of the 1.5-2.5 defeat, the Indian men lost their lead in the open section, remaining on 10 points after six rounds. Meanwhile, the Uzbek side advanced to 12 points to claim the sole tournament lead after previous overnight leader Germany also lost their match against China.
While the men's team faced defeat, the Indian women's team was poised to bounce back with a 2-1 lead against the United States. Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh both played out draws, leaving Savitha Shri to secure the sole victory for the squad in that round.