The three top matches in Monday's sixth round of the Women's Chess Olympiad all finished with 2½-1½ scores, the smallest possible margin in a 4-game match. Each contest featured three draws and one decisive game. India defeated co-leaders Armenia thanks to Divya Deshmukh's win on board 3; Georgia overcame former leaders Mongolia with Salome Melia's win on board 4; and Poland beat China, the fourth seeds, with Oliwia Kiolbasa clinching the match on board 3.
India's women's team is one of only two squads in Budapest - in either section of the Olympiad - to keep a perfect score so far. Unlike the open section, where the Indian team (a double gold is now a reasonable ambition) has dominated, the women's team has narrowly won two consecutive matches to emerge as the sole leaders. This ability to win tight matches early on could favour them in the long run, as they have shown resolve to overcome tough obstacles early on. Against Armenia, Divya Deshmukh delivered a key victory, defeating Elina Danielian in style on board 3 to maintain India's flawless record.
India's Tania Sachdev got an extra pawn in a rook and bishop endgame but could not convert into a win in her game against Anna Sargsyan | Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova
In the clash between Georgia and Mongolia, the rating favourites managed to halt Mongolia's surprising run of upset victories from previous rounds. The top three boards ended in balanced draws, while Salome Melia's strong endgame technique on board 4 earned Georgia the decisive point, as she got the better of Erdenebayar Khuslen to secure the win.
Poland's victory over China, though significant, was not an upset - Poland are seeded third, and China fourth. However, China's back-to-back losses were unexpected, given their impressive performances in the first four rounds. After losing to Armenia in round 5, China faltered again on Monday. Oliwia Kiolbasa, the standout for Poland, delivered the winning point by defeating Guo Qi on board 3. Kiolbasa has developed a strong reputation at Olympiads, notably winning 9 consecutive games in the 2022 edition in Chennai, and now scoring 4½/5 in the first half of the event in Budapest.
Georgia's Bela Khotenashvili (standing), Lela Javakhishvili and Nana Dzagnidze during the sixth round | Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova
Poland's Alicja Sliwicka signed a 93-move draw with black against China's Ni Shiqun | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
These results leave Georgia and Poland tied for second place, just 1 match point behind India as the tournament heads into its rest day. Nine teams, all of which were in the top 20 seeds at the start, sit 1 point further back. Among them, Peru (seeded 39th) and Australia (seeded 46th) made headlines by upsetting stronger opposition on Monday: Peru drew with Hungary, and Australia defeated Israel.
Round 7 on Wednesday promises thrilling matchups, with leaders India set to face Georgia, while Poland will take on Ukraine in what will be key clashes in the race for the Olympiad title.
Peru (right), with IM Deysi Cori on the top board, drew Hungary on Monday | Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova
Playing white, Divya Deshmukh faced Elina Danielian's French Defence and got a clear edge out of the opening both on the clock and in the position. Once the black king was forced to remain in the centre of the board, the Indian representative began to open up lines for her pieces to create havoc on the opposite camp.
Divya Deshmukh having a look at her teammate's positions | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
| Rk. | Team | Games | + | = | - | TB1 | TB2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 137 | |
| 2 | Georgia | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 130,5 | |
| 3 | Poland | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 110 | |
| 4 | United States of America | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 126 | |
| 5 | Armenia | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 114 | |
| 6 | Kazakhstan | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 112 | |
| 7 | Mongolia | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 110 | |
| 8 | Spain | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 107 | |
| 9 | France | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 107 | |
| 10 | Azerbaijan | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 107 | |
| 11 | Germany | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 105,5 | |
| 12 | Ukraine | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 101 | |
| 13 | Hungary | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 102 | |
| 14 | Bulgaria | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 99,5 | |
| 15 | Peru | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 98 | |
| 16 | Uzbekistan | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 97,5 | |
| 17 | Greece | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 96 | |
| 18 | Austria | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 92 | |
| 19 | Netherlands | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 88 | |
| 20 | Australia | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 83 |
| No. | Team | Pts. | MP | : | MP | Pts. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 18½ | 12 | : | 11 | 17 | Georgia |
| 2 | Austria | 15 | 9 | : | 9 | 18½ | Hungary *) |
| 3 | Ukraine | 16 | 10 | : | 11 | 18½ | Poland |
| 4 | Azerbaijan | 16½ | 10 | : | 10 | 17½ | Kazakhstan |
| 5 | Armenia | 18 | 10 | : | 10 | 18½ | United States |
| 6 | Mongolia | 16 | 10 | : | 10 | 18 | Germany |
| 7 | Spain | 18½ | 10 | : | 10 | 17½ | France |
| 8 | Canada | 14½ | 9 | : | 9 | 16½ | Bulgaria |
| 9 | Peru | 17 | 9 | : | 9 | 15 | Netherlands |
| 10 | Greece | 15½ | 9 | : | 9 | 15½ | Uzbekistan |
| 11 | China | 18½ | 8 | : | 9 | 16 | Australia |
| 12 | Latvia | 14½ | 8 | : | 8 | 16 | England |
| 13 | Estonia | 14½ | 8 | : | 8 | 15 | Turkiye |
| 14 | Serbia | 15 | 8 | : | 8 | 18 | Iran |
| 15 | Vietnam | 17 | 8 | : | 8 | 15 | Czech Republic |
