Indian Chess Teams Win Big at 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) announced a total cash prize of Rs 3.2 crore for the Indian men’s and women’s teams for their historic gold medal wins at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad. The felicitation ceremony took place in New Delhi.
Men’s Team Honored
GM D Gukesh, GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and GM Harikrishna Pentala were awarded Rs 25 lakh each for winning gold in the open category.
Women’s Team Honored
GM Harika Dronavalli, GM Vaishali Rameshbabu, IM Divya Deshmukh, IM Vantika Agrawal, and IM Tania Sachdeva also received Rs 25 lakh each for their gold medal win in the women’s category.
Coaches and Support Staff
Coaches GM Abhijit Kunte and GM Srinath Narayan were given Rs 15 lakh each. GM Dibyendu Barua, Head of Delegation, received Rs 10 lakh, while assistant coaches GM Vaibhav Suri, IM Swayams Mishra, GM Arjun Kalyan, and GM Sankalp Gupta were awarded Rs 7.5 lakh each.
Statements from AICF Leaders
Nitin Narang, President of AICF, emphasized the ongoing hunger for excellence in chess and the significant achievements of the Indian teams. Dev Patel, Secretary General of AICF, highlighted future development initiatives to grow the sport across India.
Player Reactions
GM Gukesh expressed pride in the team’s performance, especially after the disappointment of the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai. GM Harika Dronavalli said the cash prize would encourage future generations to take up chess and help achieve more victories.
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’s like the Olympics but for chess.
AICF -: AICF stands for All India Chess Federation. It is the main organization that manages and promotes chess activities in India.
Rs 3.2 crore -: Rs 3.2 crore means 32 million rupees. In India, ‘crore’ is a term used to denote ten million.
GM -: GM stands for Grandmaster, which is the highest title a chess player can achieve. It is awarded by FIDE.
D Gukesh -: D Gukesh is a young and talented Indian chess player who has achieved the title of Grandmaster.
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu -: Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu is another young Indian chess Grandmaster known for his impressive skills.
Harika Dronavalli -: Harika Dronavalli is a well-known Indian chess Grandmaster who has won many international tournaments.
Nitin Narang -: Nitin Narang is the President of the All India Chess Federation.
Dev Patel -: Dev Patel is the Secretary General of the All India Chess Federation.