Savitha’s late win rescues India’s women; India’s open team held by Azerbaijan in Samarkand

B. Savitha Shri delivered a late victory to earn India’s women a 2-2 draw with Kazakhstan at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Thursday. The Indian open team were held to a 2-2 draw by Azerbaijan on the same day.

Defending champions in both sections, India reached the business end of the tournament under pressure as the women trailed Kazakhstan 1-2 before Savitha’s finish. The 19-year-old Chennai player, making her Olympiad debut in Uzbekistan, has won all seven of her games and is described in the report as well poised to win an individual medal regardless of team fortunes. India fell behind after R. Vaishali lost to Alua Nurman on the second board while Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh each settled for draws.

Savitha converted after a long struggle when, from a drawn rook-and-pawn ending, Elnaz Kaliakhmet erred and Savitha won in 62 moves. That single point lifted India to 13 match points in the women’s section and prevented a loss that would have left the title defence in deeper trouble.

The standings after the round place Kazakhstan, Armenia and Mongolia on 14 points; India sit on 13, two points adrift of sole leader China. In the open competition, India are on 13 points as well, sharing second place and trailing the leaders Uzbekistan and Germany by one point.

All four Indian players in the open match with Azerbaijan drew: R. Praggnanandhaa with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Arjun Eriagisi with Aydin Suleymanli, D. Gukesh with Mahammad Muradli and Vidit Gujrathi with Rauf Mamedov, producing the 2-2 team score.

Germany provided the day’s biggest upset in the open by beating Uzbekistan 2.5-1.5, with Frederik Svane defeating Nodirbek Yakkuboev. Other reported open-round outcomes included Armenia drawing with the Netherlands 2-2, USA beating Serbia 3.5-0.5 and China beating Poland 2.5-1.5.

In the women’s section, notable results listed for the round included Uzbekistan beating the Netherlands 3-1, China beating Georgia 2.5-1.5 and Mongolia beating Bulgaria 2.5-1.5; several other matches produced 2-2 draws or 2.5-1.5 scores as recorded.

Only three rounds remain in the Olympiad, leaving India’s women on 13 points and trailing China by two, while the open team’s 13 points leave them one behind the joint leaders Uzbekistan and Germany with the final rounds to decide medal positions.