Team India makes history winning double gold at Chess Olympiad

INDIA made history on Sunday as both its men's and women's teams secured their first-ever gold medals at the 45th Chess Olympiad.

The men's team defeated Slovenia, with D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanadhaa winning their matches in the final round.

The women’s team achieved a 3.5-0.5 victory against Azerbaijan to claim the title.

Previously, the Indian men's team had won bronze medals in 2014 and 2022, while the women's team secured a bronze in the 2022 edition held in Chennai.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi congratulated the teams on Monday, stating that the achievement opens a new chapter in India's sports journey. “Historic win for India as our chess contingent wins the 45th #FIDE Chess Olympiad! India has won the gold in both open and women’s category at Chess Olympiad!” Modi said on X.

Historic win for India as our chess contingent wins the 45th #FIDE Chess Olympiad! India has won the Gold in both open and women’s category at Chess Olympiad! Congratulations to our incredible Men's and Women's Chess Teams. This remarkable achievement marks a new chapter in… pic.twitter.com/FUYHfK2Jtu

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2024

The Indian men’s team defeated Slovenia with a 3.5-0.5 score, while the women overcame Azerbaijan with an identical scoreline in the final round of the event held in Budapest.

India joins China and the former Soviet Union as the only countries to win both men’s and women’s gold medals in the same edition of the Chess Olympiad.

For 18-year-old D Gukesh, who will soon face Ding Liren of China in the world championship, the gold was a significant milestone. "I am just super happy right now," said Gukesh, who scored nine points from ten games, helping the team win 21 out of a possible 22 points.

🎥 The moment 🇮🇳 India receives the Gaprindashvili Cup!

India takes home all 3 trophies in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad:

🏆 the Hamilton-Russell Cup, for winning the #ChessOlympiad

🏆 the Vera Menchik Cup for winning the Women's Olympiad

🏆 the Gaprindashvili Cup, a special… pic.twitter.com/b6X3u1GW7j

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) September 23, 2024

Arjun Erigaisi also played a pivotal role, scoring 10 points from all 11 games. "It's a nice feeling, but I don't want to care too much about being number three or number four," he said about his ranking in the live world rankings.

R Praggnanandhaa anchored the team until the ninth game, providing stability. Although he lost to Wesley So of the US, he finished the tournament with a win in the final round.

The Indian women’s team, consisting of Harika Dronavalli, R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev, defeated Kazakhstan and the USA to secure gold.

Viswanathan Anand, who has mentored several players, expressed his pride in their achievement. “It feels like a magical time for India. With such players, you know you’ll get results,” he said.

The men's and women's teams had both won bronze at the previous Olympiad in Chennai, and this time they fulfilled the expectations placed on them.

(With inputs from PTI)