Nihal Sarin’s daring 28.Rxc6+ win gave India a 2.5‑1.5 victory over Indonesia.
The match unfolded on Board 3, with reigning world champ Dommaraju Gukesh slipping into a draw that nudged his rating below 2700. Sarin, meanwhile, faced a lower‑rated Indonesian, but the pressure was on him to secure the win and keep India’s unbeaten streak alive.
At move 28, Sarin sacrificed his rook—28.Rxc6+—exposing the black king. He followed with a blitz of checks, Qxe4+ and Qxb4, forcing the opponent’s king to shuffle across the board while the clock ticked down. By 37.Nc5+, Indonesia’s Hafiz had no escape and resigned.
India closed the round 2.5‑1.5, keeping their perfect record through two rounds. The women’s side also dominated, taking 3.5‑0.5 over Finland, with Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal and Savitha Shri all scoring victories.
The men now head to Italy for Friday’s clash, while the women face Greece.