Koneru Humpy flipped the script on Friday night, outclassing Greece’s Stavroula Tsolakidou in a 3.5‑0.5 duel that saw the Indian Grandmaster steamroll the ‘Greek Goddess’ with the whites.
The match began in a Nimzo‑Indian, Humpy opting for an aggressive 10.b4 11.b5, grabbing queenside space and putting early pressure. She kept the tempo, pushing 14.f4, 15.Qf3 and 16.Rad1, while Tsolakidou’s pieces stayed passive.
The turning point hit at 21.e5, ripping open lines and exposing the black king. After 22.bxc6 bxc6, Humpy’s knight stormed to e4, then d6, snatching material and setting up a lethal attack.
A cascade of tactics unfolded: 25.Nxe8 Rxe8 26.Qxh4, and the board tilted heavily in Humpy’s favor. She followed up with 40.e6, 41.Bxe6+ 42.Rd7+, then capitalised on the f5 bishop to seal the game. Tsolakidou resigned after 46.Rf1, a clean 4‑1 win for India’s women.
Meanwhile, world champion D Gukesh turned the tables in the open section, beating Italy’s Sabino Brunello in 33 moves and nudging his rating back toward 2700. Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi drew, while Nihal Sarin added another win, giving India a 3‑1 edge over Italy.
With the women's side riding a flawless 3.5‑0.5 haul, the team’s undefeated streak continues, and the next hurdle on Saturday is Mongolia for the women and Spain for the open squad.