Indians content with draws

Grandmaster K Sasikiran continued with his fine form but the Indian men could only manage a 2-2 draw with Poland while the women did well to hold Vietnam 1.5-1.5 in the 13th and penultimate round of the 34th chess Olympiad in Istanbul on Saturday.

With only one round to go, Russia continued to lead the men's section, after a fighting 2-2 draw with England. Russia has 36 points to its credit and is followed by Germany on 34.5 points. Germany defeated Bosnia & Herzegovina 2.5-1.5. Hungary (33.5) moved to third position with a 3-1 victory over Netherlands. The Indian team has tallied 30.5 points and a success in the last round will probably find them in the top ten.

In the women's section, China is all set to annex the title. On 30.5 points, it has a near-unassailable lead over Georgia (28). Russia is in third spot with 27 points while India has 21.5 points.