Indian womens team, featuring Odisha IM Padmini Rout, won gold medal in the Asian Nations (Regions) Online Chess Championship, beating Indonesia 6-2 in the final today. Other players of the five-member Indian team were: R Vaishali, PV Nandhidha, captain Mary Ann Gomes and Bhakti Kulkarni.

In the double-leg final, Indian women won the opening game 3-1 and second one by identical margin. Padmini played a major role in the gold medal triumph, winning her two boards against Medina Warda Aulia and Chelsie Monica Ignesias respectively.

But Indian mens team, comprising B Adhiban, Nihal Sarin, SP Sethuraman, Surya Shekhar Ganguly and K Sasikiran settled for silver medal after losing to Australia 3.5-4.5. India lost the first game 1.5-2.5 and drew the next 2-2.

The Asian gold came as a double delight for Indian women, who had also secured the gold in the FIDE Online Olympiad earlier this year in August. The victory assumed greater significance as the Indian women emerged victorious without the help of top two stars, Koneru Humpy and D Harika.

Indian women enter the Asian final, defeating Kazakhstan and Mongolia in the quarter and semifinals respectively by 7.5-0.5 identical margin. Playing on the third board, Padmini won both of her quarter and semifinal games.

Earlier at the group stage, Indian women garnered 16 out of 18 points to march into the quarterfinals. Padmini was most successful among the five Indians, scoring 7.5 points from her nine games. She won six and drew three. Overall, Padmini secured 13.5 points out of a possible 15, winning 12 games and drawing three.