India Continue Chess Olympiad Title Defence With Two Straight Wins in Open and Women’s Sections

India has made a strong start to its title defence at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, securing victories in both the Open and Women’s sections across the opening two rounds.

The defending champions returned to action on Thursday and produced convincing results, with the Open team defeating Indonesia 2.5-1.5 and the Women’s team overcoming Finland 3.5-1.5. India will now enter the third round on Friday with both teams carrying unbeaten records.

India’s Open team faced Indonesia in the second round and eventually prevailed 2.5-1.5. R. Praggnanandhaa, D. Gukesh and Vidit Gujrathi were all held to draws, leaving the match finely balanced. Nihal Sarin, however, provided the decisive result for India with a victory that gave the defending champions the overall match win.

The result follows India’s victory in the opening round and keeps the team firmly in contention early in the tournament. The third round will see India make one change to its lineup. Arjun Erigaisi comes into the team in place of Vidit Gujrathi. Praggnanandhaa will play Lorenzo Lodici with the white pieces, while Arjun Erigaisi will have the black pieces against Luca Moroni Jr. Nihal Sarin, also playing white, will face Francesco Sonis, while D. Gukesh will play Sabino Brunello with black.

The lineup gives India another opportunity to build momentum as the competition progresses into the more demanding stages of the Olympiad. India’s Women’s team also maintained its perfect start, beating Finland 3.5-1.5 in the second round. Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal and Savitha Sree B all registered victories, while R. Vaishali was held to a draw.

The result gives India a strong platform heading into Round 3, where Koneru Humpy will replace Vaishali in the lineup. Humpy will play Stavroula Tsolakidou with the white pieces. Divya Deshmukh will face Anastasia Avramidou with black, while Vantika Agrawal will have white against Ekaterini Pavlidou. Savitha Sree B will play Antonia Christodoulaki with black.

The combination of experienced players and emerging talent remains a key feature of India’s campaign, with the team looking to maintain its unbeaten run as the field becomes increasingly competitive.

Gukesh and India Return to the Board

The Open section will once again feature world champion D. Gukesh, who will take the black pieces against Italy’s Sabino Brunello. Gukesh was held to a draw in the second round against Indonesia, but his presence remains central to India’s title defence. Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin will also be in action, with both playing white in their respective Round 3 encounters.

Arjun Erigaisi’s entry for Vidit provides another change to the defending champions’ lineup as India looks to manage its players across the long tournament. With both sections winning their first two matches, India has avoided an early setback and established a solid foundation for the rounds ahead. However, the Olympiad is a long team competition, and consistency across multiple rounds will be crucial.

India’s third-round matches on Friday will provide another test as both teams attempt to extend their winning starts. In the Open section, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun, Nihal and Gukesh will represent India. The Women’s team will feature Humpy, Divya, Vantika and Savitha. The early results have ensured that India enters Round 3 with confidence, but the focus will now shift to converting individual performances into another team victory.

The Chess Olympiad remains one of the most demanding team events in the sport, with every half-point potentially influencing the standings as the tournament progresses. For India, the objective is clear: continue collecting match victories and remain on course for another successful campaign in Samarkand.

The live streaming of the 2026 Chess Olympiad is available through the FIDE YouTube channel, allowing fans to follow India’s title defence as the competition continues.