Chess Olympiad: Gukesh’s brilliance helps India pip Germany; women crush Uzbekistan

After a while, India had a well-nigh perfect day at the Chess Olympiad. Both the men’s and women’s teams won their matches in the ninth round at Samarkand on Friday.

After conceding draws in the previous round, both teams had to win their matches. The men encountered a strong challenge from the giant-killer Germany before winning 2.5-1.5, while the women crushed host Uzbekistan 3-1.

The Indian men owe their win to World champion D. Gukesh, who showed resilience and brilliance to defeat Alexander Donchenko on the fourth board. He came back from an inferior position and found a superb knight manoeuvre on his way to a 54-move victory with black pieces.