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Golden Period: India Wins the Chess Olympiad

Golden Period: India Wins the Chess Olympiad

In a remarkable display of talent and teamwork, India won the gold medal in the 2024 Chess Olympiad, marking a historic achievement for the nation.

The 2024 Chess Olympiad, which brought together chess enthusiasts and experts from all over the world, was held in Budapest, Hungary, from September 10– September 23, 2024. 

With a record-breaking 193 teams in the Open division and 181 in the Women’s tournament, the Chess Olympiad was a remarkable event.

The Day History Was Created

India’s remarkable victory at the 2024 Chess Olympiad, where the women’s and open teams both won gold in a highly competitive field, was an immense success for the country. 

This double gold medal victory is a major improvement, compared to India’s bronze medals in both categories at the 2022 Olympiad in Mamallapuram, Chennai.

D.Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi’s crucial wins helped India win their first-ever chess Olympiad.

In the competition’s last round, India defeated Slovenia to replace China as the winners of the open division. China, in second place, gave up scores on two boards to the United States.

In the last round of the Chess Olympiad, the Indian women’s team pulled off an exciting win over Kazakhstan despite a few challenges along the way.

Koneru Humpy, the world’s highest-ranked Indian woman, was absent from the team consisting of Tania Sachdev, Divya Deshmukh, R Vaishali, Harika Dronavalli, and Vantika Agrawal. However, at the Chess Olympiad, they succeeded in winning gold.

The victory of India in the women’s and open categories emphasizes the significance of gender equality in sports.

The Journey of Our Young Champions

Our young champions had an amazing journey to the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, where they proved their incredible skill and dedication on a global platform.

Women Players representing India in Chess Olympiad 2024

Team Captain – Abhijeet Kunte

Harika Dronavalli

Vaishali Rameshbabu

Divya Deshmukh

Vantika Agrawal

Tania Sachdev

Men Players representing India in Chess Olympiad 2024

Team Captain – Srinath Narayanan

Gukesh D,

Praggnanandhaa R,

Arjun Erigaisi,

Vidit Gujrathi,

Pentala Harikrishna 

At 18, Gukesh maintained his perfect record throughout the Olympiad and even defeated former world championship opponent Fabiano Caruana.

The rise of Arjun Erigaisi to the world’s top three players—behind only Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen—further highlights the Indian team’s breadth of potential.

Divya Deshmukh, who is 18 years old, is becoming an outstanding player. Her winning streak, which included an important victory in the championship match, secured her an individual gold medal on board three and demonstrated the promising future of women’s chess in India.

The Next Generation of Indian Chess

Indian players inspire thousands of people as they leave their imprint on the global scene. India’s rise as a chess superpower is demonstrated by its accomplishments in major competitions like the World Youth Championships and the Chess Olympiad. The young players’ prominence inspires the upcoming generation of players to follow their chess passion.

The legacy of Indian chess will only become more powerful as it rises, encouraging upcoming generations to take up the game and aim for excellence.

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