India had its one of the best days at the chess Olympiad 2026 round 9. The Open team beat Germany 2.5-1.5. This is the same German team that had ended host nation Uzbekistan’s winning streak just a day earlier. The Women’s team beat Uzbekistan 3-1. Both wins push India up to 15 match points, level with or ahead of several teams it was chasing after Round 8. But the biggest story of the day happened on board 3, where Gukesh turned an almost losing game into a win.
Nihal and Arjun Fight to Long Draws Against Germany
Nihal Sarin, playing White against Frederik Svane, pushed his rooks deep into Black’s side of the board, first to d8, then to b8. Even so, Svane held a real advantage through the middlegame. It was Svane’s own mistake, 26…Qf1?, that let Nihal level the game. The position then repeated itself, and the game ended in a draw on move 35.
Arjun Erigaisi played the longest game of India’s day, a 70-move ending with just queens and pawns left on the board. Arjun had the better chances for most of the game, helped by 2 mistakes from Matthias Bluebaum, 17.Ne4?! and 20.a5?!. But Bluebaum’s king found enough safety, and the game ended in a draw after a long stretch of checks.
Praggnanandhaa Draws a Quiet Battle With Keymer
Pragg played Vincent Keymer, who is rated higher at 2764. However, the game remained equal from start to finish. Both players made a few small inaccuracies along the way, including Keymer’s 45…e4?! and Pragg’s reply 47.gxf5?!, but neither mistake was enough to change the outcome.
The position then simplified, and Pragg was the first to offer a draw with 55.Kh3. Keymer declined, playing 55…Kf7, but just two moves later, both players agreed to a draw on move 57, as the position remained essentially equal.
India’s Women Beat Uzbekistan 3-1
Divya Deshmukh played the longest winning game of the day for India, a 73-move grind against Tokhirjonova. White held a small edge for a while. Then 2 mistakes in a row, 25.h3?? and 27.Rfe1?, turned the game fully in Divya’s favour. She kept her nerves from there and did not let the advantage slip.
Vantika Agrawal, playing this round in place of a regular squad member, won a long and messy rook ending against Imomkuzieva. Both players missed chances while low on time, but Vantika played more accurately in the end. She won the game on move 54.
Koneru Humpy had the better position for most of her game against Khamdamova, roughly a pawn’s worth of advantage. But Khamdamova defended well, and the game ended in a draw by repetition on move 45.
Savitha Shri B’s 7-game winning streak came to an end today. She drew a long, careful game against WIM Guldona Karimova that went on for 53 moves. Although, she is still unbeaten after 8 games at her first Olympiad, with 7 wins and 1 draw. So a draw is a perfectly fine result, especially in a match that was never going to be easy.
Where This Leaves India in the Medal Race
In the Open, Uzbekistan is back in the sole lead on 16 match points after beating the United States. India moved up to 15 by beating Germany, and shares that spot with Uzbekistan’s second team, who beat the Netherlands, and Armenia, who beat Azerbaijan. India is 1 point behind the leader, with a real chance to close the gap.
In the Women’s section, India’s win over Uzbekistan takes the team to 15 match points. China leads outright on 17 after beating Armenia, 2 points clear of India, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, who are all tied behind them. Since China leads outright rather than being tied with India, tie-breaks are not in the picture yet, they only come into play between teams level on points. If India beats China tomorrow, both teams would move to 17, and it would be a genuine fight for the top spot heading into the final round.
What to Expect in Round 10
Round 10 is on Saturday, September 26. In the Women’s section, the pairing is confirmed: India will face leaders China, in what is being called the penultimate round’s biggest match. A win takes India level with China at the top, with 1 round left to decide gold.
India’s Open pairing for Round 10 is also confirmed: India will play Uzbekistan’s 2nd team. In the other big match at the top, sole leader Uzbekistan faces Armenia. All 3 chasers, India, Uzbekistan 2 and Armenia, were tied on 15 match points before this round, so both matches carry real weight. A win keeps India’s gold medal hopes alive; a loss to the second Uzbek team would be a costly stumble with just 1 round left after this one.
Chess Bharat’s Highlight of the Day: Gukesh’s Great Escape
Gukesh’s game has to be the highlight for the day today. For most of this game, Gukesh looked like he was going to lose. He made a few small mistakes like, 32…Kg8?!, 37…h5?! and 39…h4?, and these let Alexander Donchenko build a strong attack. By move 44, the computer said White was nearly 4 pawns ahead. Most players would have given up in that spot.
(Gukesh playing from Black pieces against Donchenko)
Then everything changed. With both players running low on time, Donchenko played 46.Ree3??, and gave back most of his advantage. His next move, 47.Rxh3?, brought the game fully level. The position stayed close through the 40s. Then 51.Be2?? handed Gukesh a real edge. Gukesh replied with the brilliant more 51…Nf4!!, keeping the pressure on. Donchenko made one more mistake, 52.Rxf4??, and Gukesh grabbed material with 52…Qxc3. He finished the game with checks, and Donchenko resigned on move 54.
Gukesh’s game was not perfect. But he stayed calm in a lost position and punished every mistake Donchenko made, 4 of them in just 8 moves. That is what made this the game of the round.
Note: Chess Bharat covers tournament results independently, with no preference toward any player, team, or federation. We cross-checked the Round 9 results and standings with the official broadcast, then replayed and reviewed the games with an engine before publishing. If you notice anything that needs correcting, please let us know and we’ll update the report.
