Gukesh and Savitha among India’s top performers at Samarkand Chess Olympiad
At the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, D. Gukesh and B. Savitha Shri emerged as leading performers for India, in a report published on September 28, 2026. India did not repeat its double triumph from Budapest but still managed podium finishes in both the open and women’s sections.
India arrived in Samarkand as the defending champion in both the open and women’s sections after their 2024 success in Budapest. Expectations were high that the country might retain both crowns, and there were pre-tournament concerns about D. Gukesh’s form. Gukesh opted to play on the fourth board rather than the first board he occupied in Budapest and in Mamallapuram in 2022. He had been brilliant in those earlier events and had won an individual gold medal there.
Gukesh secured the individual silver medal at the Olympiad and was a significant contributor to the Indian side, despite suffering a loss in the final round during the match against Hungary. The coverage noted that he showed his capabilities across the event. With a World title match against Javokhir Sindarov scheduled in a couple of months' time, the report suggested he should be in a better frame of mind following the Olympiad.
B. Savitha Shri won the individual gold medal as the reserve player for the women’s team, finishing the event unbeaten and recording eight wins from her 10 games. The report stated she produced wins or draws at crucial moments for the team. Savitha's performance was described as a possible turning point in her career given her conversion rate at the tournament.
Other members of the Indian women’s team also collected individual honours: Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal each won individual medals on their respective boards. R. Vaishali was the only member of the squad who did not win an individual medal, according to the account.
In the open section R. Praggnanandhaa claimed the bronze medal while playing on the top board, a role in which team management assigned him to face the strongest opponents. The report noted he had been in fantastic form but that this was not a perfect Olympiad for him.
There was no repeat of the double gold from Budapest, but both India's men’s and women’s teams reached the podium, and India received the Gaprindashvili Cup for the best combined result in the Olympiad. The coverage concluded that the overall outcome reflected strong individual performances across both squads.
Gukesh’s scheduled World title match against Javokhir Sindarov in a couple of months’ time was highlighted as the next confirmed milestone for an Indian player emerging from the Samarkand Olympiad.