India Triumphs Over China at 2024 Chess Olympiad

India emerged victorious against China in round seven of the Chess Olympiad 2024, which took place at the SYMA Sports and Conference Centre in Budapest, Hungary. Key player D. Gukesh delivered a critical win over Wei Yi, a top player from China, ensuring a favorable outcome for the Indian team in the open section.

The rest of the matches against China saw Arjun Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, and Pentala Harikrishna ending in draws, making Gukesh’s win crucial for India to secure the match win. Gukesh played skillfully with the white pieces, maintaining pressure until Wei Yi stumbled, clinching the tie for India.

In other notable events from the matches, Praggnanandhaa and Yu Yangyi agreed to a draw early in their game. Arjun Erigaisi, who performed flawlessly in previous rounds, was held to a draw by Bu Xiangzhi. Harikrishna, utilizing his expertise with the black pieces, successfully prevented Wang Yue from securing a win.

The absence of World Champion Ding Liren, who was rested by China, meant that the anticipated high-profile clash with Gukesh did not take place. This decision by the Chinese team came after Ding’s unexpected loss against Vietnam’s Le Quang Liem in the previous round.

With this win, the Indian open team maintains the lead with seven victories out of seven, accumulating 14 match points. Iran trails closely with 13 points, while Uzbekistan holds third place.

In the women’s section, the Indian team also excelled as they faced Georgia. Harika Dronavalli and Divya Deshmukh secured draws, while Vantika Agrawal and R. Vaishali achieved wins, pushing India to a clear lead with 14 match points in the women’s category. They are now two match points ahead of Poland, who hold the second position.

The upcoming round 8 will see India’s men’s team competing against Iran, while the women’s team will face Poland, promising more intense action at the Chess Olympiad.