Chess Olympiad: India miss chance to close in as Gukesh draws; Savitha saves women’s day

NEW DELHI: India had a smooth sail in the open section of the 2026 Chess Olympiad until their Round 6 game against hosts Uzbekistan in Samarkand. We all know what happened there.With the other three boards drawn, Nihal Sarin had an advantage against Nodirbek Yakubboev, only to blunder his queen, the match slipped from India's grip, handing Uzbekistan the lead in the title race. While Sarin's blunder dominated the post-match discussion in chess circles, some also asked whether world champion Dommaraju Gukesh could have pushed his own game a little further instead of settling for a draw.Vidit Gujrathi, briefly joining ChessBase India's commentary panel on his rest day, brushed the suggestion aside. "Gukesh plays his own game," he said. "If he feels there is a chance, he pushes till the very end."