Bengaluru: Four rounds into the Olympiad and things are now slowly hotting up. India ran into their first challenge of any sort in Serbia and France. The games were longer and combative and with its fair share of drama, particularly on the India women’s boards.

Tania Sachdev, with chaos all around her, decided to go all in against International Master Natacha Benmesbah. “I could only see Divya’s (Deshmukh) board which looked crazy and Harika’s board was too far off. I decided that though my position is complicated, I’ll play it,” Tania said on Chessbase India’s broadcast after her win with the Black pieces.

The Indian set up a nifty trap with e5 and forced her opponent to trade rooks. Harika Dronavalli managed to manoeuvre a knight endgame successfully to a full point to hand India a 3.5-0.5 win over France.

In the Open section, R Praggnanandhaa on Board 2 drew against the strongest Serbian player on the team, Alexey Sarana. The Russia-born GM won last year’s European individual championship. Teammate Arjun Erigaisi made it a flawless 4/4 in Budapest.

Erigaisi wins

On Board 3, Arjun has been the stuff of dreams for India so far. Captain Srinath Narayanan deserves plaudits for the decision to field India’s highest ranked player and the world No.4 in a position where he can take risks, play uninhibited chess, go for the kill and remain the constant who can bring in a full point every match.

The Indian women came up against their sternest test so far in the French team. Captain Abhijit Kunte paced between Harika and Divya’s boards as other games wound to a close and the large playing hall slowly emptied out. Iranian-French WGM Mitra Hejazipour was the primary antagonist, who unfurled chaos and put Divya on the ropes. The Indian hung in and managed to turn it around for a win.

Away from the Indian boards, there were major upsets. Defending champions Uzbekistan lost to Vietnam and legend Vasyl Ivanchuk spotted the dynamite 47.h5! to beat Wesley So and fashioned the upset of top seeds USA by his home team Ukraine.

Ding Liren drew his game against Armenia’s Haik Martirosyen and dropped below Hans Niemann to world No.18 in the live ratings. The reigning world champion has had three draws in a row so far and remains in search for his first win at this Olympiad.

Results:

Women (India vs France)

Harika Dronavalli beat Deimante Daulyte-Cornette

Sophie Milliet drew Vaishali R

Divya Deshmukh beat Mitra Hejazipour

Natacha Benmesbah lost to Tania Sachdev

Open (India vs Serbia)

Alexandra Predke vs D Gukesh (Game still on)

R Praggnanandhaa drew Alexey Sarana

Aleksandar Indjic lost to Arjun Erigaisi

Vidit Gujrathi vs Ivic Velimar (Game still on)

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