: Chess Olympiad: Indian juggernaut rolls on; All 6 teams win their matches for third day running #IndiaNEWS #Other News Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu), July 31 (IANS) All the six Indian Teams in fray in

Chess Olympiad: Indian juggernaut rolls on; All 6 teams win their matches for third day running #IndiaNEWS #Other News
Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu), July 31 (IANS) All the six Indian Teams in fray in both sections of the 44th Chess Olympiad being played here won their matches to maintain a clean slate.
The India A Team ranked second beat Greece with a 3-1 score, Team B trounced Switzerland 4-0 and Team C beat Iceland 3-1. The Indian women won their third-round matches to keep up perfect scores. India A defeated England 3-1, India B scored over Indonesia 3-1 and India C beat Austria 2. 5-1. 5.
The highlight of Sundays round was Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa playing for Team B and wriggling out of an inferior position, which appeared totally lost at one point against Swiss grandmaster Yannick Pelletier.
The teenager, without giving up, continued to pose problems, making it difficult for his opponent to find the winning way. Pelletier fell short on time, missed his way and ended on the losing side on the 67th turn.
Pragg wasnt satisfied despite winning a point as he said, I have played badly and this point doesnt give me any joy and I struggled throughout this game in a bad position.
While his captain R B Ramesh was more pragmatic. He said, In any professional sport, one has to be ready for any type of position and situations.
Last minute entrant Indian women c team defeated Austria by a narrow 2. 5-1. 5 score to win their third-round match.
The womens A Team also looked poised to win their match against England.
In the Open section, all the three Indian teams clinched their third-round matches against Greece, Switzerland and Iceland respectively even though one game in each team was still in progress.
Koneru Humpy was rested today and Harika took over on the top board for her first game at this Olympiad which incidentally is her 9th one along with two virtual ones.
The 31-year-old Harika is in the advanced stages of her first pregnancy and was playing Jovanka Houska of England on the top board for India A team. Harika opted for the Queens gambit and declined variation against Jovanka as fortunes fluctuated throughout this game.
The players indulged in a spate of exchanges at regular intervals to enter a rook and three pawn each ending and with no progress possible, decided to split the point on the 40th turn.
A disappointed Harika quipped, The game was balanced with the position fluctuating only slightly and I never had enough advantage to press.
WGM Nandhidhaa P V representing team c was the first player to gain a point, courtesy a walkover by Chiara Polterauer who is unwell.
Nadhidhaa who has notched 3 points in 3 outings said, This is my first Olympiad and I am playing in my home town Chennai and this is enough to give me extra energy. In my opinion ratings and seedings dont matter.