Budapest: India showcased an extraordinary performance at the ongoing International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad in Budapest, securing two gold medals in both the men’s and women’s events on Sunday.
In the final round, the Indian men’s team—comprising D. Gukesh, R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Pentala Harikrishna—dominated Slovenia to clinch the gold medal. Gukesh and Erigaisi’s victories established a decisive 2-0 lead, solidifying India’s position. Praggnanandhaa added another win, while Vidit concluded his match with a draw, leading to a resounding 3.5-0.5 victory.
“India wins the 45th FIDE #ChessOlympiad! Congratulations to Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, and captain Srinath Narayanan! Gukesh D triumphed over Vladimir Fedoseev, and Arjun Erigaisi defeated Jan Subelj, ensuring India’s gold,” announced the International Chess Federation on X.
Simultaneously, the Indian women’s team—featuring Harika Dronavalli, R. Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agarwal, and Tania Sachdev—also secured gold by defeating Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5. Dronavalli, Deshmukh, and Agarwal all emerged victorious in their matches, while Vaishali drew her game against Ulviyya Fataliyeva.
According to ESPN, this victory marks an improvement from their bronze medal at the Chennai Olympiad in 2022, which was their first podium finish. The International Chess Federation highlighted, “India beats Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5! Women’s #ChessOlympiad | Round 11. All eyes are on Kazakhstan vs. USA. If Kazakhstan wins, they will tie for first with India, leading to tie-breaks.”
Earlier in the tournament, the Indian men’s team achieved a significant victory against the USA in the 10th round, winning 2.5-1.5, with Gukesh triumphing over Fabiano Caruana. Although Praggnanandhaa faced a rare defeat against Wesley So, the team bounced back with Erigaisi’s win over Leinier Perez and a draw from Vidit against Levon Aronian.
Prior to this, the men’s team had an impressive streak, winning eight consecutive rounds before a draw in the ninth. They finished the round with a total of 19 match points, sitting atop the leaderboard.
India’s previous best performances in the Chess Olympiad included two bronze medals in 2014 and 2022. During the online Olympiad in 2020, held during the pandemic, India shared the gold medal with Russia.
Source: gulfnews.com