Chess Olympiad 2026: India's Teams Win Again in Rounds 2 and 3

India's open team beat Indonesia and Italy and India's women beat Finland and Greece in rounds 2 and 3 of the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.

India's two teams are still perfect after three rounds of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. Both have won all three of their matches.

The open team had a tough test against Indonesia in round 2. Praggnanandhaa R was held to a draw in 79 moves on the top board, and Gukesh D and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi also drew. It was Nihal Sarin who made the difference, winning his game to give India a narrow 2.5-1.5 victory. Close matches like this are where a team really needs every player.

In round 3 India beat Italy 3-1. Nihal Sarin won again, his third win in three games, and Gukesh D won with the black pieces against Sabino Brunello. Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi drew their games.

India's women's team beat Finland 3.5-0.5 in round 2 and Greece 3.5-0.5 in round 3. In round 3 Koneru Humpy beat Stavroula Tsolakidou, an opponent she had faced at the Cairns Cup in August.

Among the other leading open teams, Uzbekistan beat Peru 3.5-0.5 and Austria 3-1, with Javokhir Sindarov winning in both rounds. China beat Chile 3-1 and Bulgaria 3.5-0.5, with former world champion Ding Liren winning his game against Arkadij Naiditsch. The United States beat Mongolia 2.5-1.5 and Denmark 2.5-1.5. Their narrow win over Mongolia showed again that no match at an Olympiad is easy.

Nihal Sarin's start is a great example of what a team needs. Not every player can win every game, but when the top boards draw, someone else must step up. In team chess you do not need to be the hero every round. You need to be ready when the team needs you.

After three rounds, many teams are still on maximum points, including India, Uzbekistan, China, France, Germany and the United States in the open section.