India’s Dominant Performance in the Open Section
In the open section, India secured a flawless 4-0 victory against Morocco. With D. Gukesh sitting out the first round, R. Praggnanandhaa led the team on the top board, defeating Tissir Mohamed. Vidit Gujrathi followed with a win over Ouakhir Mehdi Pierre, while Pentala Harikrishna triumphed against Moayad Anas with the black pieces. World No. 4 Arjun Erigaisi completed the sweep by defeating Elbilia Jacques.
Strong Start for Indian Women
In the women’s event, India triumphed with a 3.5-0.5 victory over Jamaica. Vaishali won on the top board against Adani Clarke, Tania Sachdev defeated Gabriella Watson on the fourth board, and Divya Deshmukh beat Rachel Miller. Vantika Agarwal was held to a draw by Raehanna Brown, rounding out the match.
Overview of the Olympiad
The 12-day biennial event features over 1,800 players, with 193 teams competing in the open section and 181 in the women’s section. India, the host of the previous edition, won bronze medals in both categories, setting high expectations for this year’s performance.
This strong start sets a promising tone for the rest of the Olympiad. Are you following the matches closely?
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