India Wins Gold in Both Men’s and Women’s Chess at FIDE Olympiad in Budapest
Budapest, Hungary – India showcased an outstanding performance at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad in Budapest, winning gold medals in both the men’s and women’s events on Sunday.
Men’s Team Triumph
In the final round, the Indian men’s team, consisting of D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Pentala Harikrishna, defeated Slovenia to secure the gold medal. Victories from D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi gave India a 2-0 lead, which was later confirmed by Praggnanandhaa’s win and Vidit’s draw. India triumphed over Slovenia with a score of 3.5-0.5.
The International Chess Federation celebrated the victory on X, stating, “India wins the 45th FIDE #ChessOlympiad! Congratulations to Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, and Srinath Narayanan (Captain)! Gukesh D beats Vladimir Fedoseev, and Arjun Erigaisi prevails against Jan Subelj; India secures at least a tie in their match against Slovenia, and clinches the gold.”
Women’s Team Victory
The Indian women’s chess team, comprising Harika Dronavalli, R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agarwal, and Tania Sachdev, also won gold by defeating Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5. Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal won their matches, while R Vaishali drew her match against Ulviyya Fataliyeva.
According to ESPN, the women’s team improved their performance from the Chennai Olympiad in 2022, where they won a bronze medal.
The International Chess Federation noted on X, “India beats Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5! Women’s #ChessOlympiad | Round 11 All eyes are on Kazakhstan vs USA. If Kazakhstan prevails, they will tie for first with India. Then everything will be decided in tie-breaks.”
Previous Rounds and Achievements
In the 10th round, the Indian men’s team defeated the USA 2.5-1.5. D Gukesh won against Fabiano Caruana, while Arjun Erigaisi secured a win against Leinier Perez. Vidit Gujrathi drew his match against Levon Aronian. Despite R Praggnanadhaa’s loss to Wesley So, India maintained their lead. The men’s team had an impressive streak, winning eight rounds in a row before a draw in the ninth round. India topped the table with 19 match points after 10 rounds.
India’s previous best performances in the Chess Olympiad include bronze medals in 2014 and 2022. In an online Olympiad in 2020 during COVID-19, India shared the gold with Russia.
Doubts Revealed
FIDE -: FIDE stands for Fédération Internationale des Échecs, which is French for International Chess Federation. It is the organization that governs international chess competitions.
Chess Olympiad -: The Chess Olympiad is a major international chess tournament where teams from different countries compete against each other. It is like the Olympics but for chess.
Budapest -: Budapest is the capital city of Hungary, a country in Europe. It is known for its beautiful buildings and rich history.
D Gukesh -: D Gukesh is a young and talented chess player from India. He is one of the top players in the Indian men’s chess team.
R Praggnanandhaa -: R Praggnanandhaa is another young chess prodigy from India. He has achieved many successes in international chess tournaments.
Arjun Erigaisi -: Arjun Erigaisi is a skilled chess player from India. He is part of the Indian men’s chess team that won the gold medal.
Vidit Gujrathi -: Vidit Gujrathi is an experienced Indian chess player. He has represented India in many international chess events.
Pentala Harikrishna -: Pentala Harikrishna is a well-known Indian chess grandmaster. He has been playing chess at a high level for many years.
Harika Dronavalli -: Harika Dronavalli is a top female chess player from India. She is part of the Indian women’s chess team that won the gold medal.
R Vaishali -: R Vaishali is a talented young female chess player from India. She is also the sister of R Praggnanandhaa.
Divya Deshmukh -: Divya Deshmukh is a promising young chess player from India. She played a key role in the women’s team victory.
Vantika Agarwal -: Vantika Agarwal is a skilled female chess player from India. She contributed to the women’s team’s success at the Olympiad.
Tania Sachdev -: Tania Sachdev is an experienced Indian chess player. She has been part of the Indian women’s chess team for many years.
Slovenia -: Slovenia is a small country in Europe. The Indian men’s chess team defeated the Slovenian team in the Chess Olympiad.
Azerbaijan -: Azerbaijan is a country located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The Indian women’s chess team defeated the Azerbaijani team in the Chess Olympiad.