The Indian men’s chess team continued their dominant run at the 46th Chess Olympiad, securing an emphatic 3‑1 victory over Holland in the fifth round.

The highlight of the match was R Praggnanandhaa’s brilliant win against Dutch star Anish Giri, bouncing back strongly after a series of draws. Arjun Erigaisi held firm to secure a draw against Jorden Van Foreest, while Nihal Sarin comfortably drew with veteran Loek Van Wely. Rising star D Gukesh maintained his sublime form, defeating Erwin l’Ami to notch his fourth individual win in five games.

With this result, the Indian men extended their perfect streak to five consecutive wins, placing them at the top of the leaderboard alongside Uzbekistan and Germany.

Meanwhile, the Indian women’s team faced a setback, losing 1.5‑2.5 to Poland. A crucial defeat for R Vaishali proved decisive, as the rest of the squad could not recover the deficit. The loss dropped the women’s team to eighth place, though six rounds remain, leaving ample opportunity for a comeback.

India’s strong showing in Samarkand reflects the depth of talent in its chess squads, with the men eyeing a podium finish and the women determined to bounce back.