Chess Olympiad 2026: India Begin Title Defence With Wins in Open and Women’s Sections

India began its title defence at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand with victories in both the Open and Women’s sections on Wednesday, setting up an important second round as the tournament continues on Thursday.

The Indian teams entered the Olympiad as defending champions and made a positive start, although the Open team had to negotiate an unexpected setback. The women’s team, meanwhile, produced a commanding performance to open its campaign with a 4-0 victory.

With the second round now underway, India will face Indonesia in the Open section, while the women’s team takes on Finland.

India defeated Thailand 3-1 in its opening-round encounter in the Open section. World champion D Gukesh, Nihal Sarin and Vidit Gujrathi registered victories to give India three points from the four completed games. However, the match also produced a surprise result on the fourth board. Arjun Erigaisi suffered a defeat against Thailand’s International Master Prin Laohawirapap, preventing India from completing a clean sweep.

R Praggnanandhaa was rested for the opening round but returns to the lineup for the second round against Indonesia. The result nevertheless gave the defending champions a winning start as they look to build momentum through the early rounds of the competition.

For the second round, India has made a change to its Open section lineup. Praggnanandhaa comes into the team in place of Erigaisi and will play with the black pieces against Megaranto Susanto.

The remaining boards will see Nihal Sarin play Hafiz Arif Abdul with the white pieces, while Gukesh, also playing black, faces Cahaya Satria Duta. Vidit Gujrathi will have the white pieces against Budhidharma Nayaka.

The second-round lineup therefore brings together four of India's leading players as the team looks to continue its winning start.

India Open Round 2 Pairings

• R. Praggnanandhaa (Black) vs Megaranto Susanto

• Nihal Sarin (White) vs Hafiz Arif Abdul

• D. Gukesh (Black) vs Cahaya Satria Duta

• Vidit Gujrathi (White) vs Budhidharma Nayaka

The return of Praggnanandhaa adds another experienced player to India's lineup as the defending champions continue their campaign.

Women’s Team Makes Perfect Start

India's women produced an even stronger opening performance, defeating the Dominican Republic 4-0. All four Indian players won their respective games, with Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali, Vantika Agrawal and B. Savitha Shri contributing to the comprehensive victory. The result gave India maximum points from its opening encounter and provided a strong platform for the next stage of the competition.

Divya Deshmukh was rested in the opening round but returns for the second round against Finland, replacing Humpy. Vaishali, Vantika and Savitha Shri retain their places in the lineup.

India's second-round women's lineup features Divya Deshmukh on the first board, where she will play Johanna Paasikangas with the white pieces. Vaishali will face Anastasia Keinanen with black, while Vantika Agrawal will also have the black pieces against Sara-Olivia Sippola. Savitha Shri will play Helja Lehtinen with white.

India Women’s Round 2 Pairings

• R. Vaishali (Black) vs Keinanen Anastasia

• Divya Deshmukh (White) vs Paasikangas Johanna

• Vantika Agarwal (Black) vs Sippola Sara-Olivia

• B. Savitha Shri (White) vs Lehtinen Helja

After the 4-0 victory in the opening round, India will look to maintain the same level of consistency against Finland.

The Chess Olympiad is a long-format team competition where consistency across multiple rounds is crucial. A strong opening can provide momentum, but every subsequent match brings a new challenge. India's Open team will therefore look to build on its 3-1 win over Thailand while recovering from Erigaisi's unexpected defeat. The women's team, meanwhile, enters the second round after a dominant opening performance.

With Praggnanandhaa returning to the Open lineup and Divya Deshmukh coming into the women's team, India will have fresh combinations on the boards for Thursday's matches. The tournament in Samarkand represents another major opportunity for Indian chess following the country's growing prominence at the international level. As defending champions, both teams will be closely watched throughout the competition.

Where to Watch Chess Olympiad 2026

Chess fans can follow the live streaming of the Chess Olympiad 2026 on the FIDE YouTube channel.

With India competing simultaneously in both the Open and Women’s sections, Thursday's second round will offer another opportunity to track the defending champions as they continue their campaigns in Samarkand.