Sun Sep 22 14:31:29 UTC 2024: ## India Makes History, Clinches Double Gold at 45th Chess Olympiad

**Budapest, Hungary:** India etched its name in the annals of chess history as both the men’s and women’s teams secured gold medals at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest. This marks the first time India has achieved a double gold in the prestigious event.

The men’s team, led by the formidable quartet of Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, and P Harikrishna, entered the final round with a comfortable lead after their impressive win against the USA on Saturday. They needed only to avoid defeat against Slovenia to claim the gold. However, they went beyond expectations with Gukesh, Arjun, and Pragg winning their respective matches, while Vidit secured a draw.

The women’s team, consisting of Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, Tania Sachdev, and captain Abhijit Kunte, secured a convincing 3.5-0.5 victory against Azerbaijan. The team, however, had to await the outcome of the Kazakhstan-USA match, as a win for Kazakhstan would have resulted in a tie for gold. The tense wait ended with a draw, solidifying India’s claim to the gold.

This double triumph is a testament to the burgeoning strength of Indian chess. Earlier this year, Gukesh became the youngest-ever player to qualify for the Candidates tournament, and Praggnanandhaa made headlines by defeating world number one Magnus Carlsen in the classical format at the Norway Chess tournament. Arjun Erigaisi also propelled himself into the world’s top five rankings.

The win adds another feather to the cap of Indian chess, following a year that saw significant achievements by young players. The future looks bright for Indian chess, with Gukesh eyeing a shot at the World Championship title in December.

**Quotes:**

* “It was crazy. He surprised me in the opening with his move order, and we reached an initially equal position. His problems started from Ne7. Arjun was completely winning, so I thought even a draw would be fine, but I kept finding all the good moves. I am glad, but the main thing was to perform as a team!” – R Praggnanandhaa on his win against Anton Demchenko.

* “It is truly unfathomable how this kid would come from a country with no chess culture and not only become World Champion, but inspire generations of Indian kids to push chess forward. The legend, @Vishy64theking! Huge congratulations to India for winning the @ChessOlympiad!” – Hikaru Nakamura, on Twitter, praising India’s win and Viswanathan Anand’s contributions to Indian chess.

This historic victory is a moment of pride for India and a testament to the dedication and talent of its chess players. It signals a bright future for Indian chess, filled with promise and potential.

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