At Chess Olympiad, a gambit for Gukesh — and for India

2 min readSep 17, 2026 06:19 AM IST First published on: Sep 17, 2026 at 06:19 AM IST

A day before India began its Chess Olympiad campaign in Samarkand, captain Srinath Narayanan played his biggest gambit: Gukesh D would play on board 4, the final board. It’s unprecedented for a reigning world champion to play on board 4. At the previous two Olympiads, Gukesh was on board 1, where he had delivered individual golds. The board order is more than a matter of prestige at the Olympiad: Board 1 is usually reserved for a country’s top players, which ensures they play the cream of other nations.

Does Narayanan’s choice indicate that the team management lacks faith in the 20-year-old after his slump since becoming the world champion? He has gone from being the World no. 5 in December 2024 with a rating of 2783 to currently being the World no. 31, rated 2703. In his last tournament, the Chennai Grandmasters, he did not win a single match. By his own admission, his Achilles’ heel is going for risky moves which, when a player is low on confidence, can backfire.

India not playing Gukesh on the top boards might actually work in the reigning world champion’s favour. Getting to face weaker players over 11 rounds at the Olympiad could be the best way for him to gain back confidence in time for his world crown defence. He can take risks, like his style demands, and not be made to pay by opponents — the equivalent of an Indian cricketer going back to play the Ranji Trophy to get some runs under his belt. It just might be a gambit that helps India retain the gold.