India made history on Sunday by defeating the women’s and men’s teams in the 45th Chess Olympiad. After D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanadhaa won their respective matches in the eleventh and final round match, the men’s team overcame Slovenia. The women’s team won the title with a 3.5-0.5 victory over Azerbaijan. The Indian men have previously won two bronze medals in the competition, in 2014 and 2022. In Chennai in 2022, Indian ladies took home a bronze medal. Gukesh, a competitor for the World Championship, and Arjun Erigaise again excelled in crucial games to help India win its first open championship.
When playing as black against Vladimir Fedoseev in the technical portion of the match versus Slovenia, Gukesh was at the top of his game. The eighteen-year-old Grandmaster’s outstanding strategic performance was spot on, despite the triumph being laboriously achieved.
Unexpectedly, Erigaise defeated Jan Subeli with black on the third board in a defense against Centre Counter.
As if this weren’t enough, with one game left, India defeated Slovenia 3-0 thanks to Praggnanadhaa’s incredible victory over Anton Demchenko.
In the end, the Indian men scored an incredible 21 points out of a potential 22. They defeated all of their opponents, only giving up a lone 2-2 tie to Uzbekistan.
The Indian ladies then defeated Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5, earning a unique double gold for the nation.
On the top board, Dharika demonstrated her exceptional technical skills and contributed to the team’s victory. Meanwhile, on the third board, Divya Deshmukh once again outperformed her rival to secure her solo gold medal.
Following R Vaishali’s draw, Vantika Agrawal’s outstanding victory sealed the win for the Indian team.
The Indian women’s chess team won this historic match in the Chess Olympiad by exhibiting incredible perseverance and collaboration. Through their combined efforts, they received well-earned recognition on a global scale.
