Samarkand hasn’t been kind to the defending champions. The 46th Chess Olympiad kicked off with a logistical headache—players waiting six hours for rooms, Arjun Erigaisi flying straight from Bengaluru’s Global Chess League with zero rest. It showed. In Round 1, Erigaisi blundered against Thailand, a rare slip for India’s No. 2. But the fog cleared by Saturday. Erigaisi, playing white against Spain’s Maksim Chigaev, executed a masterclass in the Réti/English. He squeezed space with 12.h4 and 13.h5, provoking ...g5 to leave the black king exposed. The attack was surgical. 31.Qh7, 32.Qh8+, and a knight raid on g4. Chigaev had no answer. 36.Qf7+. Game over.
That win was the puzzle piece India needed. Gukesh, the world champion, kept his momentum intact, beating Alexei Shirov to reach 4.5/5. It’s a strong rebound after his rating dipped below 2700 on Thursday. Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin drew their respective games, sealing the 3-1 victory. For Erigaisi, this isn’t just a point on the board. It’s a release valve. A winless start after a grueling travel schedule could have poisoned the well for the rest of the event. Saturday’s result suggests the adjustment period is done.
The women’s team is on another level. They beat Mongolia 3-1, extending their unbeaten run. Koneru Humpy and Vaishali Rameshbabu drew against lower-rated opposition, but Divya Deshmukh and Savitha Shri did the heavy lifting on the lower boards. No match ties dropped. The machine is humming.
The real test arrives Sunday. The open team faces the Netherlands, guided by Anish Giri. It’s arguably the sternest challenge in Samarkand so far. The women take on Poland. One slip and the momentum breaks. Watch this space.