Sun Sep 22 16:12:22 UTC 2024: ## India Makes History at Chess Olympiad, Wins Gold in Both Men’s and Women’s Divisions
Budapest, Hungary – India achieved a historic feat at the Chess Olympiad on Sunday, claiming gold medals in both the men’s and women’s divisions. The Indian men’s team, led by D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, clinched their first-ever gold in the open category after a dominant performance throughout the tournament.
The men’s team secured a 3-0 victory over Slovenia in the final round, with wins from Gukesh, Erigaisi, and R Praggnanadhaa. Gukesh, the 18-year-old Grandmaster, displayed impressive strategic prowess in his win over Vladimir Fedoseev. Erigaisi also delivered a strong performance, defeating Jan Subelj with the black pieces. Praggnanadhaa secured a crucial win over Anton Demchenko, converting what seemed like a draw into a decisive victory.
The Indian women’s team mirrored their male counterparts’ success, achieving a dominant 3.5-0.5 win over Azerbaijan. D Harika led the charge with a decisive victory on the top board, while Divya Deshmukh secured her individual gold medal on the third board with another impressive performance. Vantika Agrawal secured another win to seal the gold for India.
This victory is a testament to the remarkable growth of Indian chess in recent years. The men’s team finished with an impressive 21 points out of a possible 22, losing only one draw against Uzbekistan.
The Olympiad gold medals cap off an outstanding year for Indian chess. Gukesh is poised to potentially become the youngest-ever world champion when he faces world champion Ding Liren in December. This year’s achievements have undoubtedly solidified India’s position as a powerhouse in the global chess landscape.
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