9/16/2024 – Saturday's fifth round at the Women’s Chess Olympiad saw three teams emerge as co-leaders with perfect 10/10 match points, with top seeds India joined by Armenia and Mongolia after stunning upset victories. Armenia overcame what had been a highly dominant Chinese team, while Mongolia (pictured) shocked the United States. Both underdog teams continue to impress as the tournament progresses. Meanwhile, Georgia and Poland remain just 1 point behind the leaders. | Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova
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India, Armenia and Mongolia co-leaders
Two pre-tournament favourites, China and the United States, suffered defeats in round 5 of the Women's Chess Olympiad. Armenia and Mongolia, the teams that shocked their higher-rated opponents, are now sharing the lead with India, the top seeds. India maintained their perfect score of 10/10 match points by beating Kazakhstan 2½-1½, continuing their strong performance in Budapest.
Armenia's victory over China was particularly surprising given China's previous dominant run, having scored 15½/16 points on individual boards in the first four rounds. The Armenian team secured their upset win with two victories: Lilit Mkrtchian defeated Zhu Jiner on the top board, while Anna Sargsyan outplayed 14-year-old Lu Miaoyi on board 4. Sargsyan's win was especially remarkable, featuring a direct attack that included an exchange sacrifice.
Mongolia's win over the United States was similarly impressive, with Turmunkh Munkhzul delivering the key victory on board 1 to seal the match. The remaining three games ended in draws, allowing Mongolia to claim a narrow 2½-1½ win. The 18th seeds have now upset two top-10 teams in consecutive rounds, having also defeated Spain in round 4. Mongolia's standout player has been Bat-Erdene Mungunzul, who entered the tournament as a reserve player and has collected 4½/5 points so far.
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Mongolia's Nomine-Erdene Davaademberel held a draw against multiple US women's champion Irina Krush | Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova
India, much like Armenia and Mongolia, also won by the smallest possible margin, 2½-1½. The top seeds never appeared to be in danger of losing their match against Kazakhstan. Wins by Vaishali Rameshbabu and Vantika Agrawal, both with the white pieces, secured the Indian team's fifth consecutive match victory. On the top board, however, Harika Dronavalli was defeated by Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva, marking one of the few setbacks India has faced in the event.
Two strong teams remain just one point behind the co-leaders: Georgia, the second seeds, and Poland, the third seeds. Georgia will face Mongolia in round 6, while Poland is set to play against China. The top match of the round will see India go up against Armenia.
Armenia's Mariam Mkrtchyan and Elina Danielian sharing a laugh before the match against China | Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova
India's Vantika Agrawal | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz
Sargsyan on the attack
Facing Lu Miaoyi with white, Armenia's Anna Sargsyan played a scintillating attack after having sacrificed two queenside pawns. Black's pieces looked rather uncoordinated, though.
Sargsyan foresees that her pair of knights and queen will be able to create havoc on the kingside, and thus goes for 24.Rxf6, giving up an exchange to open lines around her prodigious opponent's monarch.
There followed 24...gxf6 25.Nf5 Ree8 26.d4, opening up the light-squared b1-g7 diagonal.
Black's best try here is 26...Qc4, defending the weak f7-pawn. Instead, Lu opted for 26...exd4, and after 27.N3d4 Rad8 28.Kf8 Qh7 (threatening mate on f7) 29.Re1+ Kh2 30.Nhf5 Kd8 Sargsyan found another remarkable manoeuvre in 31.Rd3
The rook is defended via X-rays by the queen on h7, and after Lu's 32...Kd7, Sargsyan continued to find precise (and good-looking) attacking moves - 33.Ne6+ Kxe6 34.Rxd8 Qf4+ 35.Ng3 Re5 36.Qc2 Nb4 37.Qxc7
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Besides restoring the material balance - only an anecdotal fact here - White has mate-in-9 here. Resignation came after 37...Re4 38.Qd7+
Armenia's Lilit Mkrtchyan| Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
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