Chess Olympiad: Indians quick off the blocks

Mamallapuram, July 29

The Indian teams made winning starts in the open and women’s sections of the 44th Chess Olympiad here today.

Top-seeded Indian women’s A team beat Tajikistan, while the B side got the better of Wales.

Both the Indian teams have taken unassailable 3-0 leads over their respective opponents. India’s star player Koneru Humpy, playing on the top board, R Vaishali and Bhakti Kulkarni secured victories to ensure India was quick off the blocks. The Indian C team, too, began with a win. On the men’s side, the three Indian teams also posted wins in the first-round matches, beating Zimbabwe, the UAE and South Sudan, respectively.

The formidable US team, the top-seed in the open event, dropped half-a-point against the 93rd-ranked Angola when International Master David Silva held Levon Aronian to a draw.

The second-ranked Ukraine thrashed South Africa 4-0 and third-seed Georgia beat Iraq 4-0. Norway, without star player Magnus Carlsen, won 4-0 against Lebanon. — PTI

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