India Shines at 45th Chess Olympiad with Stellar Wins

World number four Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi registered his sixth win as the Indian team poised for another victory in the 45th Chess Olympiad. In the women's section, crucial wins by Divya Deshmukh and safe plays by other members led India to a 2.5-1.5 win over Armenia on Monday.

Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, the world number four, secured his sixth consecutive win, propelling the Indian team towards yet another victory in the ongoing 45th Chess Olympiad on Monday.

Erigaisi triumphed over Russian-turned-Hungarian Sjugirov Sanan in what was a challenging day for the Indian men in the sixth round. Meanwhile, on the top board, D Gukesh played an effortless draw against top Hungarian Richard Rapport, and Praggnanandhaa opted for a peaceful outcome with former great Peter Leko. With Vidit Gujrathi slated for a win against Benjamin Gledura, the Indian men were set to clinch a 3-1 victory, making them the sole leaders of the event as China was held to a draw by a resilient Vietnamese team that managed another impressive 2-2 result.

In the women's section, Divya Deshmukh's essential victory over Elena Danielian gave India an early lead against Armenia. D Harika drew with Lilit Mkrtchian on the first board, followed by R Vaishali's draw against Mariyam Mkrtchyan. Leading by a 2-1 margin, Tania Sachdev played it safe from a commanding position, drawing on the fourth board with Anna Sargasyan to secure a 2.5-1.5 win for India.

(With inputs from agencies.)