India are fast becoming the clear No 1 nation of world chess, with a dominance reminiscent of the legendary USSR teams of the 1950s and 1960s. After Thursday’s eighth round (of 11) at the 188-team Olympiad in Budapest, and a 3.5‑0.5 victory over second placed Iran, India had won every Open match and totalled 16/16 without losing a single game.
Hungary’s Peter Leko put it well: “India’s way too strong. They are very young, very determined, brilliantly prepared, and also have fantastic chemistry, so it’s a very tough team for anyone to beat.”
