Chess Olympiad: Indian teams off to winning starts

Top-seeded Indian women's A team beat Tajikistan while the B side got the better of Wales. Both the Indian teams have taken unassailable 3-0 leads over their respective opponents.

Mamallapuram: Indian teams made winning starts in the Open and women's sections of the 44th Chess Olympiad here on Friday. Top-seeded Indian women's A team beat Tajikistan while the B side got the better of Wales. Both the Indian teams have taken unassailable 3-0 leads over their respective opponents.

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India's star player Koneru Humpy, playing on the top board, R Vaishali and Bhakti Kulkarni secured victories to ensure a winning start. The Indian C team too began with a win. The three Indian teams in the men's event posted wins in the first round matches over Zimbabwe, UAE and South Sudan respectively.

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The opening round of the historic Chess Olympiad was inaugurated by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur by making the first move on Indian player Vidit Gujrathi's board. Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, All India Chess Federation President Sanjay Kapoor and Olympiad Director Bharat Singh Chauhan were also present on the occasion.

PTI