How Jiner turned struggles in India into taking China closer to Olympiad gold
China currently lead the women’s Chess Olympiad in Samarkand despite missing its top three players. World No. 4 Zhu Jiner has emerged as the team’s unbeaten Board 1, rebounding strongly from a difficult GCL campaign in Bengaluru. In an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com, she reflects on India’s chess passion, her journey into professional chess, and China’s unexpected title challenge.
In the ninth round of the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, India's defense of their gold medal hung in the balance. D Gukesh, the world champion, stepped up with an astonishing 54-move performance that turned defeat into a miraculous turnaround, securing a 2.5-1.5 victory and preserving India's chances of winning the title. Despite Nihal Sarin, R Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi all holding onto points, India's gold-medal defense looked increasingly tenuous.
Germany's surprising performance in upsets against top-seeded powers had cemented their reputation as the tournament's most feared team. However, Gukesh's remarkable display on the world stage kept the country's hopes alive and proved once again why he is a force to be reckoned with in chess.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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