Defending champions, the Indian men's team endured a slow start at the 46th Chess Olympiad, with <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/chess-disappointed-with-his-performance-this-year-gukesh-to-play-fewer-events-23623583" rel="nofollow">World Champion D Gukesh</a> temporarily dipping below 2700 in live ratings after two rounds.
While the Indian men secured consecutive victories against lower-seeded opponents, their performances on the board lacked dominance.
Gukesh's rating journey has come full circle. Back in September 2022, Gukesh jumped from 2699 to 2726 points, establishing a steady rise that culminated in becoming the youngest-ever world champion at 18 in December 2024. However, following a second-round draw against Indonesia's Satria Duta Cahaya, Gukesh's live rating shifted to 2699.5, down from his career peak of 2794 reached in October 2024.
This development offers a boost to Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov, who will challenge Gukesh for the world crown this November in Geneva, Switzerland. Nevertheless, Gukesh remains positioned to launch a swift comeback and restore his standing above 2700 before the tournament concludes.
Unlike the 2022 and 2024 Olympiads, where Gukesh won individual top-board gold medals, team management assigned him to the fourth board this time, taking recent match form into account. India opened with a 3-1 win over Thailand before securing a tight 2.5-1.5 victory against Indonesia.
<h2>Women's team start strong ahead of round 3</h2>
In contrast, the Indian women's team delivered commanding displays against early competition. They swept the Dominican Republic 4-0 in the opening round and followed up with a convincing 3.5-0.5 win against Finland.
The 11-round tournament awards two match points per team victory, with game points serving as the decisive tiebreaker if teams finish equal at the end.
Round 3 sees the Indian men face a fully Grandmaster-led Italian lineup, featuring R Praggnanandhaa versus Lorenzo Lodici, Arjun Erigaisi against Luca Moroni Jr., Nihal Sarin taking on Francesco Sonis, and Gukesh playing Sabino Brunello.
Pairings Round 3 open: India vs Italy (<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/saint-louis-rapid-and-blitz-tournament-india-r-praggnanandhaa-win-maiden-title-23643606" rel="nofollow">R Praggnanandhaa</a> vs Lorenzo Lodici; Arjun Erigaisi vs Luca Moroni Jr.; Nihal Sarin vs Francesco Sonis; D Gukesh vs Sabino Brunello).
Women: India vs Greece (Koneru Humpy vs Stavroula Tsolakidou; <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/divya-moves-out-of-office-23637073" rel="nofollow">Divya Deshmukh</a> vs Anastasia Avramidou; Vantika Agrawal vs Ekaterini Pavlidou; B Savitha Shri vs Antonia Christodoulaki).
(With inputs from PTI)

India registered narrow victories in the opening rounds of the 46th Chess Olympiad, while World Champion D Gukesh briefly dropped below 2700 live ratings


Indian Men's team face slow start at 46th Chess Olympiad as Gukesh dips in ratings

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Home / Sports / Other Sports / Article / Indian Men's team face slow start at 46th Chess Olympiad as Gukesh dips in ratings

Indian Men's team face slow start at 46th Chess Olympiad as Gukesh dips in ratings

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