India Triumphs Over Netherlands in Chess Olympiad, Women Face Setback Against Poland

In the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, India celebrated a victory against the Netherlands in the open section, while the women's team faced a setback against Poland. With the open team now in second place, the women's team has dropped to eighth. Earlier, India had a perfect start, winning both sections against Spain and Mongolia. Key players like Arjun Erigaisi and D Gukesh led the charge, while Savitha Shri remained unbeaten. Discover more about India's journey in this prestigious tournament.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 21, 2026, 06:11 IST

India's Performance in the Chess Olympiad

In the ongoing 46th Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, India achieved a notable victory against the Netherlands in the open section, while the women's team faced a defeat against Poland during the fifth round.

The open section saw India clinch a 3-1 victory over the Netherlands, contrasting with the women's team's 1.5-2.5 loss to Poland on Sunday.

Following the fifth round, India's open section team is positioned second in the standings with 10 points, sharing this score with Uzbekistan and Germany. Meanwhile, the women's team has dropped to eighth place with eight points, according to Chess.com.

Earlier, on Saturday, India had a stellar performance, winning both sections with a 3-1 scoreline. The open team triumphed over Spain, while the women's team defeated Mongolia, marking their fourth consecutive win.

Key victories came from Arjun Erigaisi and D Gukesh, with R Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin contributing draws to secure the team's overall success, as reported by the FIDE website. Gukesh achieved a win against Alexei Shirov in 42 moves, while Erigaisi triumphed over Maksim Chigaev in 36 moves.

Praggnanandhaa, competing on the top board, managed a draw against David Anton after 38 moves, and Nihal Sarin also held Jaime Santos to a draw after 30 moves, solidifying India's 3-1 victory over Spain.

This result kept India among the top teams with a perfect record of four wins in the open section, alongside China, hosts Uzbekistan, Germany, Armenia, the USA, the Netherlands, and Hungary, all remaining unbeaten after four rounds.

In the women's section, India also maintained an impeccable record, defeating Mongolia 3-1. Divya Deshmukh and Savitha Shri secured wins, while the first two boards ended in draws. Savitha remains unbeaten with a perfect score of 4/4. Koneru Humpy and R. Vaishali contributed with draws on the top two boards, with Humpy drawing against Bat-Erdene Mungunzul after 82 moves, and Vaishali drawing with Turmunkh Munkhzul after a 75-move contest.