Bengaluru: Baskar was faced with a difficult choice. He could afford to back only one of his two chess-playing children. Eventually, he asked his son, Mugesh, to set chess aside and pursue academics, while the family placed its faith, and limited means, behind Savitha Shri.
In Round 8 on Thursday, with Kazakhstan leading the match against India and the rest of the three games over, a draw on her board against Elnaz Kaliakhmet was as good as defeat. The 19-year-old international master went for an endgame grind in a position that appeared to be equal and eventually squeezed her seventh win and India’s great 2-2 draw escape out of it. In the Open section, Germany – powered by a stellar performance by the Svane brothers, Rasmus and Frederick – shook up the standings by ending Uzbekistan’s unbeaten run and joined them at the top with 14 points. India played out a 2-2 draw against Azerbaijan, with games on all four boards drawn. They are currently on 12 points.
Three rounds remain in the tournament and, should the Indian women finish on the podium, they will have Savitha Shri to thank in no small measure.
Savitha Shines in Olympiad Debut
Savitha has emerged as the standout Indian player in both the Open and women’s sections, positioning herself for a potential individual gold medal on her board.
This marks her first participation in an over-the-board Olympiad, following her experience in the online Olympiad in 2021. She secured her place on the team after grandmaster Harika Dronavalli, a veteran of previous Olympiads, opted out of this tournament.
