Chess Olympiad 2024: India dominate open and women’s sections after five rounds in Budapest

It is not often that a truly global competition featuring 180 nations begins with India as the top seed. At the halfway stage in the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, the Indian women have justified their top billing: they are in the sole lead position.

The Indian men have done slightly better than their seeding so far. Seeded second in the open section, they are also in the sole lead.

Another five rounds remain, but India is well placed to score a double – and even to improve upon the bronze medal it won in both sections of the Chennai edition of the Olympiad two years ago.

At Budapest, India is the only team, in either section, to have won every match. The men and the women have been brilliant so far.

While everyone has contributed, two have been outstanding. Arjun Erigaisi, the World No.4, has won all his six games and that is not easy to do in top quality event like the Olympiad.

The decision to play him on the third board despite him being the highest-rated player in the team has proved right. On the top two boards, D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa have done well, too.

So has Vidit Gujrathi on the fourth board. Pendyala Harikrishna has delivered whenever his services are required as a reserve player. Arjun’s win in the sixth round was crucial in India’s win against Hungary.

Like Arjun, Divya Deshmukh has been exceptional on the women’s third board, winning five games and drawing one. On Monday, while all three teammates – Dronavalli Harika, R. Vaishali and Tania Sachdev – drew, she won her game to lead India to victory in the match against Armenia.

Harika, the strongest Indian woman in the Hungarian capital after Koneru Humpy chose not to travel, may have run into rough weather a bit, but her teammates – Vantika Agrawal completes the squad – have ensured the ship was steadied always.

When the tournament resumes on Wednesday after a day’s rest, the Indian women will take on the third-seed China, which has looked good even without its best players.

China is also the opponent for the Indian men in the seventh round. That means a potential top-board clash between Gukesh and Ding Liren, who will battle it out for the World Championship, starting in Singapore on November 3.