Chess Olympiad: Arjun Erigaisi slips on Board 1, but India start with a win

India's journey to defend their title at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand appeared challenging from the outset. A blow was dealt when Arjun Erigaisi, playing on Board 1 in place of the absent R Praggnanandhaa, suffered a significant defeat to Thailand's IM Prin Laohawirapap. Arjun, who typically has a strong advantage against lower-rated opponents, found himself in a difficult position after trading pieces.

Despite regaining some advantage, he made a critical blunder, allowing Laohawirapap to force a resignation in a mate-in-two scenario. The Indian men's team managed to bounce back with early wins, beginning with Nihal Sarin's swift 28-move victory on Board 2, followed by Vidit Gujrathi's 2-0 win against Tupfah Khumnorkaew on the same board.

The biggest surprise was D Gukesh's decisive 5-move victory on Board 4 against Faris Rashid Alriyami, despite being nearly 800 rating points below his opponent. Meanwhile, the top-seeded Indian women's team started their campaign much stronger, sweeping the board 4-0 against the Dominican Republic.