Archive · 25 Sep 2026
India Draw Azerbaijan After Recovering Against England at Chess Olympiad
India is playing in the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.
In Round 8, all four Indian players drew against Azerbaijan.
This meant the teams shared the points.
India missed a chance to move closer to Uzbekistan.
In the previous round, India beat England 2.5-1.5.
R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh helped India win that match.
Nihal Sarin lost his second game in a row.
He was beaten by England’s Luke McShane after a difficult battle.
India’s four players drew against Azerbaijan in Round 8, sharing the points.
The result cost India a chance to catch Uzbekistan in the standings.
Defending champions India defeated England 2.5-1.5 in Round 7.
R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh helped India recover after its loss to Uzbekistan.
Nihal Sarin suffered his second consecutive defeat, losing to Luke McShane after a tense game.
- Who
- India, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, England, and the named players R Praggnanandhaa, D Gukesh, Nihal Sarin, and Luke McShane.
- What
- India drew all four games against Azerbaijan in Round 8 after defeating England 2.5-1.5 in Round 7.
- When
- Round 8 followed Round 7 of the 2026 Chess Olympiad; the England match took place on Wednesday.
- Where
- Samarkand.
- Why
- The Azerbaijan draw prevented India from catching Uzbekistan, while the England win helped India recover from its earlier loss to Uzbekistan.
- Event
- 2026 Chess Olympiad
- Location
- Samarkand
- Round 7 result
- India defeated England 2.5-1.5
- Round 8 result
- India and Azerbaijan drew all four games
- Standings impact
- India missed a chance to catch Uzbekistan
- India’s notable winners
- R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh
- Second consecutive loss
- Nihal Sarin lost to Luke McShane