B. Savitha Shri has quickly become India's emergency exit and finishing kick at the Chess Olympiad, and on Saturday in Samarkand the 19-year-old from Chennai did it again. For the second time in three days, the debutant stepped into a must-win situation and delivered, defeating Zhai Mo on the fourth board to rescue a 2-2 draw for India against China, the sole leaders in the women's event.
India had trailed 1-2 after Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh split the point on the top boards and Vantika Agrawal went down, leaving Savitha with no margin for error. She responded with the composure of a seasoned campaigner, converting the decisive point and ensuring India at least took a match point from the round. The result kept India firmly in medal contention heading into Sunday's final round, where every half-point could prove decisive.
Savitha's victory was her eighth in nine games, a remarkable run that has also included one draw and no losses. In a tournament where consistency often matters as much as brilliance, her form has become one of India's defining stories. Thanks in no small measure to her superb show, India moved into joint second in the women's standings on 16 points, behind China on 18 and just ahead of Kazakhstan on 17. With the standings compressed at the top, the final round promises a fierce battle for podium places.
The draw against China also carried symbolic weight. China entered the round as the only team ahead of the field, and India's ability to hold them over four boards under pressure underlined the depth and resilience of the squad. Humpy's steadiness, Divya's solidity and Savitha's finishing touch combined to keep India in the hunt, even after Vantika's loss threatened to tilt the match away from them.
If the women's event was about survival and nerve, the Indian men's team offered a display of authority. India produced a thumping 3.5-0.5 win against Uzbekistan 2, with R. Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin and D. Gukesh all registering wins, while Arjun Erigaisi held his board to a draw. The result kept India in sole second place in the open section with 17 points, just one behind leaders Uzbekistan.
The men's standings remain tightly packed behind the top two. Germany, Ukraine and Hungary are all on 16 points, which means the final round could still reshape the medal picture dramatically. India's strong showing against Uzbekistan 2 was important not only for the scoreline, but also for momentum at a stage of the event when pressure is at its highest and every board can swing the standings.
Praggnanandhaa's win over Jakhongir Vakhidov, Nihal Sarin's victory against Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov and Gukesh's success over Ortik Nigmatov gave India the kind of clean, efficient result teams dream of in the closing rounds of a Swiss-system event. Arjun's draw with Abdimalik Abdisalimov ensured the team avoided any blemish, and the collective performance reinforced India's status as one of the tournament's major forces.
Elsewhere in the open section, Uzbekistan beat Armenia 3.5-0.5, Ukraine defeated China 3-1, Germany beat France 3-1 and the United States overcame Greece 3-1. In the women's event, Uzbekistan beat Peru 3.5-0.5, Poland defeated Mongolia 3-1 and the United States swept Israel 4-0, among other results.
For India, though, the day belonged to Savitha Shri. Twice in three days, she has been the player who prevented a damaging defeat and preserved India's medal hopes. In a tournament defined by fine margins, that kind of reliability can be priceless. Sunday's final round will now decide whether her heroics become the foundation of a podium finish.