India Kicks Off FIDE Olympiad 2026 with Mixed Results in Open Section

India's Opening Matches at FIDE Olympiad 2026

Samarkand, Uzbekistan - On September 16, the defending champions India commenced their journey at the FIDE Olympiad 2026 with a blend of outcomes in the Open section. They secured a 3-1 victory against Thailand, although Arjun Erigaisi faced an unexpected defeat, as reported by a sports media outlet.

R Praggnanandhaa, India's top-ranked player, was rested for this match, allowing Arjun Erigaisi to step in at the top board. Nihal Sarin, Gukesh Dommaraju, and Vidit Gujrathi filled the second, third, and fourth boards, respectively. Given that game points could be pivotal later in the tournament, Arjun's loss to Prin Laohawirapap might significantly impact India's overall standing.

Nihal Sarin opened India's scoring by defeating Thanadon Kulpruethanon with ease, while Gukesh Dommaraju followed suit with a solid win over Faris Rashid Alriyami. Vidit Gujrathi also contributed to the team's success with a straightforward victory against Tupfah Khumnorkaew.

In other matches, the host nation Uzbekistan made a strong impression by achieving a 4-0 victory against Jamaica. The USA also encountered challenges, with Levon Aronian managing only a draw against Iraq's Ali Ehsan Aryan.

India's results in Round 1 - Open section:

India 3-1 Thailand

Arjun Erigaisi 0-1 Prin Laohawirapap

Nihal Sarin 1-0 Thanadon Kulpruethanon

Gukesh Dommaraju 1-0 Faris Rashid Alriyami

Vidit Gujrathi 1-0 Tupfah Khumnorkaew.

The Indian women's team also had a stellar start to their title defense, achieving a 4-0 win over the Dominican Republic in their opening round. Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali, and Savita Shri Baskar all secured comfortable victories, while Vantika Agrawal faced a more challenging match on board three but ultimately triumphed.

With Divya Deshmukh rested, Vantika Agrawal was elevated to board three and engaged in a closely fought game against Mary Gonzalez. A critical blunder by Gonzalez on the 45th move allowed Vantika to trade queens and pave the way for pawn promotion, enabling the defending champions to start their campaign flawlessly.

India's results in Round 1 - Women's section:

India 4-0 Dominican Republic

Koneru Humpy 1-0 Franchesca Ramirez

R Vaishali 1-0 Miguelina De La Rosa Martinez

Vantika Agrawal 1-0 Mary Gonzalez

Savita Shri Baskar 1-0 Karla Mya Nunez Diaz.