Batumi (Georgia): World Rapid Champion Viswanathan Anand was held to a draw by Egyptian Grandmaster Amin B as India just managed to secure a 2.5-1.5 win against lowly Egypt in the 7th round of the 43rd chess olympiad on Monday.
In the women section being held alongside, Indian women played out a hard-fought draw against experienced Georgia 1 team. All the games were drawn.
For the Indian men, it was a chance to register a big victory against the lower-rated egyptian team in their quest for a position at the podium but the sailing was not so smooth as GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (rated 2711) lost playing white against his much lower-rated opponent International Master Fawzy A in a queen pawn game.
Swift victories by P Harikrishna against GM Adly A and ever-reliable GM K Sasikairan against Hesham A took India to a 2.5-1.5 victory. The women section was much closely fought with all games ending in draws with none of the players achieving a breakthrough.
On the top board, India’s highest-rated women player Koneru Humpy, playing white, was held to a draw by Nana Dzagnidze in a dutch stonewall, D Harika drew Javakhishvili in a sicilian defense game on the second board, Arjun awardee Tania Sachdeva drew Batsiashvili on the third board.
In the fourth board also saw fortunes being equally divided between Padmini R and Khotenashvili.
INDIAN RESULTS (open): India beat Egypt 2.5-1.5 (Viswanathan Anand drew Amin B; Adly A lost to P Harikrishna ; Vidit Gujarati lost to Fawzy A; Hesham A lost to K Sasikiran)
WOMEN: India drew Georgia 3-1 (K. Humpy Drew Nana, Dzagnidze ; Javakhishvili drew D Harika; Tania Sachdev drew Batsiashvili ; Khotenashvili drew with Padmini R).