Arjun Erigaisi's Pivotal Victory
India is on the cusp of securing a historic first-ever gold in the Open section of the 45th Chess Olympiad, thanks to Arjun Erigaisi's crucial win over USA's Leinier Dominguez Perez in the final match of the 10th round. With this triumph, India leads the standings with 19 points, followed by China with 17 points and Slovenia with 16 points. Only a slim mathematical chance for China keeps the contest alive. According to FIDE's post on social media platform X, China still holds a remote chance at tying with India.
"China is now trailing India by two points. If India loses in the final round and China wins, the two teams will share first place. The tiebreaks will then decide the outcome, and although India has a much better tiebreak at the moment, there is still a slim chance China can prevail," FIDE posted.
D Gukesh's Decisive Win
Earlier in the day, Indian grandmaster D Gukesh set the men's team on course for victory with a spectacular win against USA's Fabiano Caruana. Gukesh, who will be competing in the World Championship this November, defeated the higher-ranked Caruana in a strategically complex Catalan opening. Gukesh gained an advantage after capturing a pawn in the middle game, and under pressure, Caruana made critical errors that allowed Gukesh to secure the win.
Other Key Matches
Despite India's success, the USA initially took the lead when Wesley So defeated R Praggnanandhaa. However, Vidit Gujrathi held his own against Levon Aronian, ensuring a solid draw. This set the stage for Erigaisi's final victory, which effectively sealed India’s overall triumph in the Open section.
Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand expressed his admiration on X, tweeting:
"Congratulations to the Indian men's team for winning the Olympiad with a round to spare, historic performance! Simply awe-inspiring play. Congratulations to @DGukesh and @ArjunErigaisi for their individual results as well!"
He later clarified that although victory seemed inevitable, it wasn't mathematically certain just yet.
Indian Women Shine as Well
On the women's side, Divya Deshmukh played a vital role in India's 2.5-1.5 victory over China, defeating Ni Shiqun. R Vaishali also contributed with a crucial draw against Guo Qi through a brilliant strategic move. Meanwhile, D Harika and Vantika Agarwal successfully held their positions, securing draws against Zhu Jiner and Lu Miaoyi, respectively.
After 10 rounds, India and Kazakhstan are tied for the lead in the women's section with 17 points each, just one point ahead of the USA and Poland.
Looking Ahead
With India leading and only one round remaining, the team is in a commanding position to secure its first-ever gold in the Chess Olympiad, a landmark achievement in the nation's sporting history. The final round will determine if they can hold their lead and make history.
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