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Georgia surrenders to India A team.
With Armenia, the youngsters team recorded their first loss of the Olympiad.
In the open, India A team managed to draw with Uzbekistan. Pentala Harikrishna beat Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who is the reigning world rapid chess champion. It happened to be Abdusattorov’s first loss in this Olympiad. While Vidit Santhosh Gujrathi drew with Nodirbek Yakubboev and Arjun Erigaisi drew with Javokhir Sindarov, Krishnan Sasikiran lost to Shamsiddin Vokhidov.
Recording its first defeat of the Chess Olympiad, Team B lost to Armenia. While Gukesh D beat Sargissian Gabriel, recording six consecutive personal victories, and Nihal Sarin draw with Hrant Melkumyan, Adhiban lost to Samvel Ter-sahakyen and Raunak Sadhwani lost to Robert Hovhanissyan, settling the scores at 1 ½ – 2 ½.
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As the going gets tough for Indian teams, Gukesh gets going
Gukesh, in his 19th move, playing white, moved his rook to the 5th square, facing the black king’s castle two squares ahead. Two of his white pawns stood alongside their white rook in E & F, waiting one after the other for promotion. The pawns deterred the black queen, as if coordinating a checkmate with the rook and queen who stood in the field clear and ready to strike the castle.
Sargissian sensed intimidation clearly so he schemed to uproot the pawn, moving his bishop out, clearing the field for the rook. But Gukesh had two more schemes up his sleeve, moving the rook from the castle, to support the rook across the board. He was very sure that Sargissian would deter the imminent checkmate and it happened as expected. Now Gukesh moved his bishop, taking down a pawn in black, only to stand on guard facing the queen across the board. Bishop’s sacrifice to the queen was to divert her down to the white’s castle and Sargissian knew it. But he must take down the bishop or he would lose his queen. So the real scheme got revealed as Gukesh moved his queen out to side with his rook.
Sargissian eventually resigned from the game, trapped by Gukesh’s cunning. With three schemes, well coordinated and foolproof, such as giving up a bishop merely for a pawn only to divert power centres, Gukesh proved a point that scheme mattered the most, not the pieces.
Recording its first defeat at the Chess Olympiad, Team B lost to Armenia on Day 6. While Gukesh D beat Sargissian Gabriel, recording six consecutive personal victories, and Nihal Sarin managed to draw with Hrant Melkumyan, Adhiban lost to Samvel Ter-sahakyen and Raunak Sadhwani lost to Robert Hovhanissyan, settling the scores at 1 ½ – 2 ½
Team C defeated Lithuania at 3½ – ½ . SP Sethuraman beat Karolis Juksta, Abhijeet Gupta beat Paulius Pultinevicius and Abhimanyu Puranik beat Valery Kazakouski. Suryasekhar Ganguly split points with Titas Stremavicius.
In the fight between top seeded Indian Women’s team A and Georgia, India defeated Georgia at 3 – 1. Koneru Humpy beat Nana Dzagnidze, R Vaishali beat Lela Javakhishvili and Tania Sachdev and Harika Dronavalli drew with Salome Melia and Nino Batsiashvili.
Team B drew with Czech Republic with Vantika Agrawal, Padmini Rout, Mary Ann Gomes and Divya Deshmukh unable to get past Julia Movsesian, Joanna Worek, Karolina Pilsova and Kristyna Petrova respectively.
Team C beat Australia at 3 – 1. Sahithi Varshini beat Nguyen Mai Chi Phan and Vishwa Vasnawala beat Thu Giang Nguyen while Eesha Karawade drew with Julia Ryjanova and PV Nandhidhaa drew with Heather S Richards.
In the Open, Magnus Carlsen’s Norway lost, this time to Australia. Though Carlsen beat Anton Smirnov, his team mates Tari Aryan and Jon Ludvig hammer lost to Temur Kuybokarov and Bobby Cheng respectively. Christiansen Johan-Sebastian managed to draw with Justin Tan.
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