India enters the final round of the Chess Olympiad 2024 with a strong chance to clinch the gold medal in the women’s section.
Divya Deshmukh helped the team stay in contention, as she delivered a decisive victory on the third board against Ni Shiqun in the 10th round at the SYMA Sports and Conference Centre in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday.
This marked Divya’s seventh win of the tournament and ensured India remained in the hunt for the top prize.
Meanwhile, Harika Dronavalli, Vantika Agrawal, and R. Vaishali held their respective opponents to draws, keeping India level with Kazakhstan at 17 points each.
India will take on Azerbaijan while Kazakhstan will take on third-placed USA in the 11th round.
As the tournament reaches its climax, the final round will be crucial in determining who takes home the gold.
The scenarios for gold medal are as follows:
If India wins: India is highly likely to win the gold unless Kazakhstan beats the USA by a significant margin (3.5-0.5).
If India draws and the USA wins: The USA will have the edge and will likely take the gold over India.
If India draws and Kazakhstan wins: Kazakhstan will claim the gold medal.
If India draws and Kazakhstan also draws with the USA: India will almost certainly secure the gold.
If India loses: India will be out of the running for the gold medal.
The final round, which is set to begin at 2:30 PM IST on Sunday, will decide whether India can turn its strong showing into a historic gold medal win.
POINTS TABLE - WOMEN’S SECTION AFTER ROUND 10
| Rank | Country | Games | Match Points | Game Points |
| 1. | India | 10 | 17 | 27.5 |
| 2. | Kazakhstan | 10 | 17 | 27.5 |
| 3. | USA | 10 | 16 | 28.5 |
| 4. | Poland | 10 | 16 | 27 |
| 5. | Spain | 10 | 15 | 29 |
| 6. | Armenia | 10 | 15 | 27.5 |
| 7. | Georgia | 10 | 15 | 25.5 |
| 8. | Hungary | 10 | 15 | 28 |
| 9. | Azerbaijan | 10 | 15 | 26 |
| 10. | China | 10 | 14 | 31 |
(*Table updated after 10th round)
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