Kazakhstan remains unbeaten. The women’s national team drew 2-2 with defending champion India in Round 8 of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand and retained second place with three rounds remaining, DKNews.kz reports.
It was Kazakhstan’s second consecutive draw against a direct rival after the previous round’s 2-2 result against China. China now leads the women’s standings alone with 15 match points, while Kazakhstan, Armenia and Mongolia have 14 each. Kazakhstan is second on tiebreaks.
Alua Nurman beats Vaishali to deliver Kazakhstan’s win
Alua Nurman produced Kazakhstan’s only victory against the reigning Olympiad champions, defeating Vaishali Rameshbabu on the second board.
Bibisara Assaubayeva drew with Humpy Koneru on board one, while Meruert Kamalidenova shared the point with Divya Deshmukh.
On the fourth board, 16-year-old Yelnaz Kaliakhmet lost to Savitha Shri. The Indian player has now won all seven games she has played in Samarkand, one of the outstanding individual performances of the tournament so far.
The four results produced another 2-2 draw for Kazakhstan — this time against the team that won women’s gold at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest. India arrived in Samarkand as the defending champion and top seed.
Kazakhstan survives two major tests without a defeat
The last two rounds have been particularly demanding for Kazakhstan.
The team entered Round 7 with six victories from six matches before facing China, which had an identical perfect record. Their encounter ended 2-2, with Kazakhstan maintaining its position among the leaders.
One day later came India.
Kazakhstan again avoided defeat, meaning the team has now collected points against two of the strongest opponents in the field in consecutive rounds.
After eight rounds, the leading group stands at:
- China — 15 match points;
- Kazakhstan — 14;
- Armenia — 14;
- Mongolia — 14.
Kazakhstan holds second place on tiebreaks. India is among the teams immediately behind the leading group after being held to a draw by Kazakhstan.
With only three rounds remaining, every match now has a direct impact on the medal positions.
Mongolia is Kazakhstan’s next direct rival
The pressure will not ease in Round 9.
Kazakhstan will face Mongolia, another team with 14 match points. That makes the encounter a direct contest between two members of the chasing group behind China.
The pairing also means Kazakhstan will have faced three major rivals in three consecutive rounds: China, defending champion India and then Mongolia.
Kazakhstan came to Samarkand after winning silver at the previous Olympiad in Budapest. The current performance shows the team again competing at the top of the women’s tournament rather than simply defending its 2024 result. Kazakhstan was also among the five highest-seeded women’s teams at the start of the competition.
Kazakhstan’s men bounce back with 3-1 victory
The men’s team recovered from its heavy Round 7 defeat to Serbia by beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1.
Denis Makhnev defeated Sanjin Culum on the first board, while Sauat Nurgaliyev beat Rijad Burovic.
Daniyal Sapenov drew with Dejan Marjanovic, and Aldiyar Ansat shared the point with Dalibor Stojanovic.
The victory takes Kazakhstan’s men to 11 match points.
Their next opponent will be Poland, which also has 11 points, making the Round 9 encounter important for both teams as they attempt to improve their positions before the final two rounds.
For Kazakhstan’s women, however, the equation at the top is increasingly tight. Six opening victories followed by draws against China and India have given the team 14 match points from a possible 16. China is only one point ahead, while Armenia and Kazakhstan’s next opponent Mongolia are level with the Kazakh team.
We previously reported on how Kazakhstan stayed in the Olympiad race after its 2-2 draw with China, when 16-year-old Yelnaz Kaliakhmet delivered the team’s crucial victory on the fourth board.
