# Gukesh wins as India beat Italy 3-1 at Chess Olympiad 2026-09-18T22:03:58+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets World champion D Gukesh returned to winning ways as the Indian men's team defeated Italy 3-1 in Round 3 of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand on Friday. Playing Black against Sabino Brunello on board four, Gukesh won in 33 moves. Nihal Sarin also won, while R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi drew their games. The Indian women's team beat Greece 3.5-0.5, with Koneru Humpy, Vantika Agrawal and B Savitha Shri winning, and Divya Deshmukh drawing. Gukesh told Hindustan Times it was his idea to play on board four, saying: "If the team needs it, I would rest all the games. No player is bigger than the country." The win lifted Gukesh back above the 2700 live rating mark after he dropped below it following a draw in Round 2. With eight rounds remaining, India's teams are at the top of the standings. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India Today and ChessBase India both reported Gukesh's rating dip before his Round 3 recovery, framing it as a natural form story. Hindustan Times led with Gukesh's own account of his voluntary board-four move, highlighting his team-first attitude. The balanced reading is that the team's flexible lineup, not individual ratings, is the bigger story: India's depth lets it absorb top-board draws. With eight rounds left, the real indicator will be how the open team fares against higher-seeded opponents in the coming days. ## Coverage - indiatoday.in (neutral report) Straight results report with no editorial slant - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Leads with Gukesh's own quote on team-first decision - chessbase.in (neutral report) Detailed round 2 recap with rating context, no slant Tags: Arjun Erigaisi, Chess Olympiad, D Gukesh, Koneru Humpy, R Praggnanandhaa Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-beats-italy-women-top-group-at-chess-olympiad/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-beats-italy-women-top-group-at-chess-olympiad/#story-in-brief