India, Sept. 21 -- Nihal Sarin sat there, tormented. Captain Srinath Narayanan caught a peek at the board. It was the only game that was still being played in the high-stakes Round 6 India vs Uzbekistan Fide Chess Olympiad face-off in Samarkand on Monday. Games on the other three boards - Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi vs Javokhir Sindarov and Shamsiddin Vokhidov vs Gukesh - had ended in draws. Both in 2022 and 2024, matches between both these teams had finished in draws. This time, everything hinged on the fate of the Board 3 game between Nodirbek Yakkubboev and Nihal.

With reigning world champion Gukesh posted on Board 4, a Gukesh vs Sindarov prelude to the World Championship was ruled out pretty early.

Niha...