SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan : World champion D Gukesh led India to a 2.5-1.5 victory over Germany in the ninth round of the 46th Chess Olympiad on Friday, while India’s women beat Uzbekistan 3-1.
Gukesh recovered from a difficult position against Alexander Donchenkov to secure a win, turning the match in India’s favour. The other three games were drawn, with R Praggnanandhaa splitting the point with Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi drawing with Matthias Bluebaum and Nihal Sarin sharing the point with Frederik Svane.
The victory took India to 15 points with two rounds remaining, keeping them in contention for a podium finish.
In the women’s section, Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal won their games against Uzbekistan, while Koneru Humpy and Savitha Shri drew.
China continued to lead the women’s standings with 17 points after beating Armenia 3-1, giving them a two-point advantage over the chasing teams, including India.
