India trails Uzbekistan 18‑17 after the opening round of the 46th Chess Olympiad, but a 3.5‑0.5 demolition of Uzbekistan’s second team has kept the gold dream alive.
Praggnanandhaa opened the floodgate, outmatching Jakhongir Vakhidov with a clean, 1‑0 win. Sarin followed suit, turning a blunder by Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov into a 1‑0 finish, while Gukesh slid into a calm 1‑0 victory using the London System against Ortik Nigmatov. Erigaisi, though in a winning position, settled for a 0.5‑0.5 draw against Abdimalik Abdisalimov, tightening the math.
The math is brutal: Uzbekistan sits on 18 match points, India on 17, and Germany, Ukraine and Hungary trail on 16. If Uzbekistan falls to Ukraine and India beats Hungary, gold is India’s. A draw in the Uzbek‑Ukraine tie and India’s win would still leave them trailing in Sonneborn‑Berger, making a silver the realistic target.
Women’s side is a different kettle of fish. The battle against China kept India’s gold hopes alive, with Savitha Shri’s 19.Bg5 moment turning into a lethal 19…Nxd4 sequence that forced a pawn‑down position. Yet she clawed back, pushing a passed pawn to a7 before Zhai Mo could muster a defense, forcing resignation and keeping India at 16 match points, tied with Poland and Vietnam.
Stakes are high: India must win Hungary and hope Uzbekistan slips to Ukraine; otherwise, gold will stay with Uzbekistan. The next challenge? A showdown against Georgia’s strong lineup, featuring Nana Dzagnidze and Bella Khotenashvili, in the final round.