2026 Chess Olympiad: Indian men beat Netherlands 3-1, brace for Uzbekistan showdown

Round 5 of the 2026 Chess Olympiad reshaped the fortunes of India's two teams. The men's side continued their title defence with a dominant 3-1 win over the Netherlands, while the women's team suffered their first defeat of the tournament, losing to Poland. India's men now look well placed for the toughest test yet: a meeting with host Uzbekistan in Round 6. R Praggnanandhaa produced his first win of the event at just the right moment. On the top board, he faced Anish Giri, who had won four straight games before this round. Giri offered a draw in an equal position, but Pragg declined. Backed by strong recent results at Norway Chess and the Grand Chess Tour, he kept pressing, induced a mistake from Giri and never looked back. It was a significant win for the young Indian grandmaster and a perfect statement for the defending champions. On the last board, reigning World Champion D Gukesh continued to deliver. He beat Erwin L'Ami for his fourth win in five rounds, taking his score to 4.5 points. Playing with the black pieces, Gukesh was in complete control and converted his advantage cleanly. With Pragg winning on board one and Gukesh winning on board four, the two Chennai grandmasters turned the match in India's favour. Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin were solid in the middle. Arjun drew with Jorden Van Foreest on board two, while Nihal Sarin drew with Loek Van Wely on board three. Despite those draws, the 3-1 scoreline was convincing and reflected the depth of India's squad. Pragg later said it was an honour to play board one for India. He admitted his earlier games had not gone his way, but this win made him happy. He added that draws were fine, but he had more chances in his previous games and was disappointed not to convert them. Still, he stressed that the team result mattered more than individual scores. The Indian women's team, meanwhile, finally stumbled. They lost to Poland, ending their winning streak. Poland once again proved to be a difficult opponent for India. The defeat leaves the women's team under pressure to bounce back in the remaining rounds. The biggest shock of the round came in the match between the United States and Germany. Germany beat top-seeded USA after Frederik Svane defeated Hans Niemann. That result meant only Germany, India and Uzbekistan now have 10 match points after five rounds. The race for the title is wide open. India's next match is against Uzbekistan, the home team, led by Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. This could decide the top spot and will test India's tactical flexibility. Uzbekistan know the venue, the crowd and the pressure. They are young, ambitious and dangerous. India's strength lies in having threats on all four boards. Gukesh is willing to play on the last board and still score heavily. Pragg can push against the opponent's strongest player. Arjun and Nihal know when to play safe. That kind of balance is rare and makes India a difficult team to beat. Round 6 promises to be a classic. If India survive the Uzbek charge, they will strengthen their claim as genuine title contenders. If Uzbekistan win, the whole tournament will be blown wide open.