Srinath's latest tweet on Nihal Sarin
India's open team suffered its first loss in a team event since the 2022 Olympiad, going down 2.5–1.5 to Uzbekistan in Round 6 of the 46th Chess Olympiad. While boards 1, 2, and 4 were drawn, Nihal Sarin lost on Board 3 to Nodirbek Yakubboev with the black pieces. This result ended India's unbeaten run against Uzbekistan across the last four head-to-head encounters between the two powerhouse teams.
Yet in a tweet following the round, Indian Open team captain Srinath Narayanan revealed that Nihal was unanimously chosen as the team's "Player of the Day". It is a ritual the team has followed since the 2024 Olympiad. Srinath pointed out that Nihal had come into the round in excellent form, but stressed that the decision wasn't about the result at all.
Whilst results do matter, the effort and process matter more. Results don’t always convey the full story. It doesn’t show the attitude behind.
- Srinath Narayanan
With black pieces, Nihal could have played safe and stayed blameless. Instead, he went for it from the very first move. That fighting spirit gave India its best shot yet at breaking Uzbekistan's resistance after four straight draws between the two.
Srinath also placed the loss in a larger context: every big result, including the 2024 Olympiad gold, was built on years of preparation and earlier setbacks. He believes the round 6 defeat is another such stepping stone.
I am sure Nihal will win us many medals in both the near and distant future.
- Srinath Narayanan
twitter.com/i/status/2102404768198987903
