Budapest
India achieved a historic milestone on Sunday by winning its first-ever gold medals in both the men’s and women’s categories at the 45th Chess Olympiad. In a thrilling final round, the Indian men’s team triumphed over Slovenia, while the women’s team secured victory against Azerbaijan, marking a major breakthrough for Indian chess.
The men’s team, powered by D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanadhaa, delivered key victories in the 11th and final round, leading India to a 3-1 triumph. Meanwhile, the women’s team, composed of Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, Tania Sachdev, and Abhijit Kunte (Captain), dominated Azerbaijan with a commanding 3.5-0.5 win, securing the nation’s first-ever gold in the women’s category.
This achievement is especially significant, as India had previously won two bronze medals in the men’s category (2014 and 2022) and a bronze in the women’s event in 2022. The men’s triumph in the open category was largely credited to World Championship challenger Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, who delivered crucial victories when it mattered most.
At the post-match press conference, the atmosphere was celebratory as members of both teams shared their reflections on the tournament. Indian team representatives Srinath Narayanan, captain of the men’s team, and Abhijit Kunte, captain of the women’s team, joined players Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi, Harika Dronavalli, and Divya Deshmukh in addressing the media.
Gukesh expressed his excitement, saying, “It was an incredible experience for me and the team. I’m super happy with how we played and how we performed as a unit. This was a dream come true.”
Divya Deshmukh echoed the sentiment, noting, “We faced some setbacks in the middle, but we fought back with resilience. I’m overwhelmed with emotions as we take home the gold.”
For Harika Dronavalli, the victory carried deep personal significance. “I’ve been playing for 20 years, waiting to see India on top of the podium. I’m so proud of the girls—Vaishali, Divya, Vantika, Tania—and how they performed.”
Following the press conference, the award ceremony took place, with speeches from Zoltán Polyánszky, President of the Hungarian Chess Federation, and Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President.
India’s double gold win at the Chess Olympiad will go down as a landmark achievement, cementing the country’s growing dominance in the global chess scene and inspiring future generations of chess players.
