Savitha Shri's Perfect Streak Preserves India's Draw at Chess Olympiad India’s campaign at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad faced stiff resistance in the seventh round, as b...
India’s campaign at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad faced stiff resistance in the seventh round, as both the top-seeded women's A team and the second-seeded men’s team were held to 2-2 draws in Budapest. While the results keep their unbeaten streaks intact, the matches highlighted the increasing intensity of the competition.
The top-seeded women's A team narrowly avoided a significant upset against Greece, thanks to a stellar performance from Savitha Shri. With the team trailing 1-2 after a loss by Vantika Agrawal and draws from Harika Dronavalli and R Vaishali, the pressure fell entirely on Savitha. In a marathon game lasting over four hours, she outplayed Marina Makropoulou to score her seventh consecutive win of the tournament, salvaging a crucial draw for her team.
The Indian men's team, seeded second, clashed with the host nation's formidable first team, Hungary, resulting in a tense 2-2 draw. The match saw Arjun Erigaisi suffer his first defeat of the event at the hands of Sanan Sjugirov. However, Vidit Gujrathi delivered a critical victory against Gergely Kantor to level the score. On the top boards, both D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa secured draws against their experienced Hungarian opponents, Peter Leko and Ferenc Berkes, respectively.
In contrast to the tense draws of the A teams, India’s women’s B team produced a convincing 3-1 victory over Slovakia. The win was powered by decisive games from Divya Deshmukh and Padmini Rout. Soumya Swaminathan and Mary Ann Gomes contributed with draws to round out the team's strong performance.
The draws for the premier Indian squads serve as a reminder of the tournament's high stakes. While avoiding losses is paramount, dropped half-points against lower-rated opponents can be costly in the final standings, where tie-breaks often become a deciding factor. Savitha Shri's consistent excellence remains a significant asset for the women's A team, while the men's team demonstrated resilience in recovering from an early deficit against a strong home team.
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