Chess Olympiad: Indian women hold China; men romp to a win
At the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, the Indian women's team drew with China, while the men's team secured a decisive victory against Uzbekistan. Both teams remain in contention for medals heading into the final round.
Why it matters
India's strong performance in the Chess Olympiad highlights the country's rising status as a global powerhouse in competitive chess.
For the second time inside three days, B. Savitha Shri proved India’s savior. The 19-year-old girl from Chennai ensured India at least got a match point in the penultimate round of the Chess Olympiad at Samarkand on Saturday.
India was trailing 1-2 against the sole leader China, but Savitha’s win on the fourth board over Zhai Mo helped her team draw 2-2, keeping alive the hopes of a medal going into Sunday’s final round. Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh had drawn their games, and Vantika Agrawal lost, and that meant Savitha was in a must-win situation.
This was her eighth win from nine games; she has drawn one and lost none. Thanks in no small measure to the debutant’s superb show, India is in joint second in the women’s event with position with 16 points. China has 18 points and Kazakhstan 17.
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