With the 4th round of the 44th Chess Olympiad concluding this evening, here are the highlights of the day.
India’s unbeaten run comes to an end
Italy ended India 2’s unbeaten run today, despite losing 1-3 to the team. While India won two matches, Italy held the other two games with draws. India 1 drew all 4 games against France, thus drawing the match 2-2. On the other hand, the third Indian team lost 1.5-2.5 against 4th seeded Spain, with 3 draws and 1 loss. India 2 continues to lead the points table with 15/16 points, with Armenia trailing behind with 12.5 points. Thus, India 2’s lead is a comfortable one against the nearest second. India 1 is ranked 7th with 12.5 points. Moreover, India 3 is ranked 20th with 11 points.
US rises in the points table
US drew their match against Uzbekistan 2-2, with two draws, one victory, and one loss. Although the result of this game is average, the US team climbed several spots on the points table to reach the 11th rank after 4 rounds, with 11/16 points. Their opponent for the day, Uzbekistan, is ranked above them at 9th position. With nearly half the tournament finished, the US looks at tough odds in the future rounds.
Brazil draws against Bangladesh
The Brazilian Team, under the guidance of Chess Gaja founder GrandMaster Priyadharshan, drew their match against Bangladesh with two wins and two loses. As captain Priyadharshan had mentioned yesterday in a preview of the game, the Bangladesh team consists of very experienced players, and this tough fight was expected out of them.
Turbulences in Women’s Category Points Table
Azerbaijan displaced Bulgaria to claim the top spot in women’s category with a 3-1 victory over Israel. Top-seeded Indian team won 2.5-1.5 against Hungary, with three draws and one victory. The team is currently placed 4th on the team rankings, with 13/16 points.
As each round passes by, the pairings get more and more difficult, and the results – increasingly interesting. Results of the last 2 rounds have been intriguing to look at, with giants like US struggling to make ends meet, whereas a team of young Indians dominates the tournament. Stay tuned on Chess Gaja for highlights of Day 5.
