# India remain unbeaten after Chess Olympiad Round 3 wins

2026-09-18T17:42:18+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

India continued its winning run at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand on Friday, with the Open team beating Italy 3-1 and the women's team defeating Greece 3.5-0.5. D Gukesh and Nihal Sarin secured the wins for the defending champion Open team, while R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi drew their games. In the women's section, Koneru Humpy, Vantika Agrawal and Savitha Shri won, while Divya Deshmukh drew. Gukesh revealed to FIDE that playing on Board 4 was his own idea, chosen to give India the best chance of winning the tournament. The world champion said he would even sit out if the team needed it. Both Indian teams have won all three matches so far, with stiffer tests expected in the coming rounds.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The coverage is uniform straight reporting with no discernible editorial slant across the three sources. All focus on scores, player performances, and Gukesh's strategic board choice. The key development is Gukesh's voluntary demotion to Board 4, framed by all outlets as a selfless team move rather than a rating decision. Savitha Shri's three consecutive wins as a reserve could make team selection interesting as India faces stronger opponents in subsequent rounds. The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad continues in Samarkand. Both Indian teams next play in Round 4 on September 19.

## Coverage

- sportstar.thehindu.com (neutral report) <https://sportstar.thehindu.com/chess/chess-olympiad-2026-india-italy-gukesh-nihal-women-greece-round-3/article71481984.ece>
  Straight match report with scores and results only
- newindianexpress.com (neutral report) <https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/sports-news/2026/Sep/18/my-decision-to-play-on-board-4-gukesh>
  Focuses on Gukesh's interview but no editorial slant
- sports.ndtv.com (neutral report) <https://sports.ndtv.com/chess/chess-olympiad-indian-men-beat-italy-women-crush-greece-12066055>
  Factual summary of results with no commentary

Tags: Arjun Erigaisi, Chess Olympiad, D Gukesh, Koneru Humpy, Nihal Sarin, R Praggnanandhaa
Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/gukesh-nihal-win-as-india-beats-italy-greece-at-chess-olympiad/
License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources.
Cite: https://indianopinion.org/gukesh-nihal-win-as-india-beats-italy-greece-at-chess-olympiad/#story-in-brief