Gukesh produced a remarkable comeback to help India beat Germany 2.5-1.5 in the ninth round of the Chess Olympiad. India moved to second place with 15 points, while the women defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 to remain in contention.
Defending champions India were held to 2-2 draws by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in the Open and women’s sections respectively at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. The Indian men remained joint second, while the women also stayed in joint-second position.
The official countdown to the Chess Olympiad 2026 was marked in Hyderabad with the ceremonial torch being handed over to Uzbek star Javokhir Sindarov by FIDE Interim President Viswanathan Anand and AICF president Nitin Narang ahead of the Samarkand event.
