India etched its name into the pantheon of sporting immortality on Friday at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, capturing the gold medals in both the Open and Women's competitions. The unprecedented sweep firmly establishes India as the preeminent superpower in global chess.
In the Open section, the young Indian squad produced one of the most dominant campaigns in Olympiad history, winning 10 matches and drawing just one across 11 grueling rounds. They finished comfortably ahead of silver medalists China and the bronze medal-winning United States.
Ruthless Domination in the Open Category
Leading the charge on Board 1 was 18-year-old World Championship challenger D Gukesh, who registered an awe-inspiring 9 points out of 10 games with a staggering performance rating exceeding 3050. On Board 3, Arjun Erigaisi was equally devastating, compiling a 10/11 score that elevated him into the world's top three in live FIDE ratings.
Supported by teammates R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, and Pentala Harikrishna, the Indian men's team demonstrated tactical precision and defensive resilience that overwhelmed traditional chess powerhouses throughout the fortnight in Budapest.
“This is a golden day for Indian sports. To win double gold at the Olympiad proves that our young generation of players are now the benchmark for the entire world.”
Triumph for the Women's Team and India's Chess Golden Era
Moments later, the Indian women's team sealed their own historic triumph. Led by veterans Harika Dronavalli and Tania Sachdev alongside rising stars R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal, the team defeated Azerbaijan in the decisive final round to clinch their first-ever Olympiad gold, edging out Kazakhstan and the United States.
Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who mentored the teams, celebrated the historic achievement alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The dual victory signals a definitive changing of the guard, ushering in an era of Indian supremacy across the 64 squares.
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