Savitha Shri’s Chess Olympiad gold demands a closer look beyond the stunning 9/10

Savitha Shri’s individual gold medal performance (9 points in 10 games) is a highly notable achievement. Her exploits at the Chess Olympiad that concluded in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sunday, however, warrant a closer look.“I really don't know what to say... for gambling the positions or keeping us tense throughout the rounds! But yes, when there were really tense moments, she was strong enough to capitalise on those opportunities. She has the fighting spirit and she is not scared of playing any position. Irrespective of the evaluation, she keeps fighting,” India’s top board player Koneru Humpy told the Chessbase India webcast about Savitha Shri.In other words, those were not simply clean wins where she outplayed her opponents. The majority of the games featured multiple inaccuracies, which is the norm in shorter time controls but not in classical chess.Veteran GM Levon Aronian told Lichess in an interview that if players want to win, they will have to take gambles these days as the level of preparation has increased. There is, however, a thin line between taking risks and being in reasonable control despite taking liberties.It is also unclear if Savitha Shri was fully aware of the dangers of her inaccuracies. Savitha Shri, 19, also played on the reserve board (fifth). Despite slipping from the Elo high of 2435 four years ago to 2382 at this Olympiad, all her rivals were lower-rated than her.Still, the value of IM Savitha Shri’s performance for India cannot be ignored. She scored eight wins when GMs K Humpy, R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh scored a combined nine wins.Vaishali (2.5/6) was rested for four of the last seven rounds. Her form is a huge worry as she is expected to challenge China’s Ju Wenjun for the women’s world crown early next year.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.