Sun Sep 22 19:11:18 UTC 2024: ## India Makes History, Wins First-Ever Women’s Chess Olympiad Gold
**Budapest, Hungary** – The Indian women’s chess team has made history, claiming the country’s first-ever gold medal at the Chess Olympiad. In a thrilling final round on Sunday at the SYMA Sports and Conference Centre, India defeated Azerbaijan, securing a dominant victory.
India’s success was fueled by impressive wins from Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Harika Dronavalli, while R. Vaishali fought to a draw. The team’s triumph was further solidified by the USA’s impressive 2-2 draw against title contenders, Kazakhstan, who ultimately settled for silver. The USA took home bronze.
Led by experienced coach Abhijit Kunte, the Indian team displayed unwavering dominance throughout the tournament, winning nine out of eleven rounds and only suffering a single loss to Poland. Notably, they remained undefeated for the first seven rounds before facing their lone defeat.
This momentous achievement follows the Indian men’s team also claiming its first-ever gold medal at the 45th Olympiad, marking a double triumph for the nation. India also successfully defended the Gaprindashvili Trophy, awarded for the best overall performance across the open and women’s sections.
This victory surpasses India’s previous best performance in the women’s section, a bronze medal achieved in 2022 at Mahabalipuram.
First Piper 