Gukesh Shines as India Open Chess Olympiad Defence With Victory
What Happened
Defending champions India began their Chess Olympiad 2026 campaign with a 3-1 win over Thailand. D Gukesh defeated Faris Rashid Alriyami on Board 4, while Nihal Sarin and Vidit Gujrathi also registered wins. The only setback came when Arjun Erigaisi, playing on Board 1 in the absence of R Praggnanandhaa, suffered a shock loss to Thailand's Prin Laohawirapap, who is rated nearly 400 Elo points lower.
Key Takeaways
India secured the match points with a comfortable victory, but Arjun's surprise defeat could prove costly later as game points often serve as tie-breakers in the Olympiad. Meanwhile, World Champion Gukesh looked in excellent form, cruising to a convincing win in his opening game.