India’s chess teams made significant progress on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The open team, led by key wins from R Praggnanandhaa and World Champion D Gukesh, defeated England 2.5–1.5, while the women’s team delivered a commanding performance.
Open Section: India Edges England 2.5–1.5
Defending champions India bounced back from their previous-round loss to hosts Uzbekistan with a hard-fought victory over England.
Board 1: R Praggnanandhaa defeated Nikita Vitiugov.
Board 2: Arjun Erigaisi drew with veteran Michael Adams.
Board 3: Nihal Sarin lost to Luke McShane.
Board 4: D Gukesh defeated Daniel Howard Fernandez.
Praggnanandhaa’s clinical win and Gukesh’s conversion under time pressure sealed the match for India. The result kept the top-seeded Indian team firmly in contention with 12 match points after seven rounds.
The Indian women’s team continued its strong campaign by thrashing Germany 3.5–0.5.
Koneru Humpy defeated Dinara Wagner.
R Vaishali drew with Elisabeth Paehtz.
Divya Deshmukh beat Hanna Marie Klek.
B Savitha Shri defeated Lara Schulze (extending her perfect run to 7/7 — the only player at the Olympiad with a 100% score).
The emphatic victory kept India in the medal race, sitting just one point behind joint leaders China and Kazakhstan.
Both Indian teams remain among the strongest contenders with four rounds remaining in the 11-round event. The open team’s recovery and the women’s side’s consistency highlight India’s depth in chess on the international stage.
Uzbekistan continued to lead the open section after defeating China, while the women’s standings remained tightly contested at the top.