On 22 September 2024, Hungary’s capital city, Budapest, stood witness to India’s historic feat. India scripted history for the first time by winning Gold in both the Open and Women’s Category in the 45th Chess Olympiad. As if the double gold medals had not been enough, the Indian players had finished with four individual gold medals. The Chess Olympiad, which was scheduled from 10 September 2024 to 23 September 2024, is a biennial chess tournament organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). A total of 193 teams participated in the Open Category and 181 teams took part in the Women’s Category of the event that was held at SYMA Sports and Conference Centre.
Why is India’s achievement particularly noteworthy?
While the Open team won 10 matches and finished with 21/22 match points, the Women’s team ended with 19/21. With D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanadhaa winning their respective matches in the 11th and final round, the men’s team defeated Slovenia. The women’s team beat Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5 to clinch the gold title.
This was the first time that India won double Gold at Chess Olympiad. Srinath Narayanan’s contribution as the captain of the Men’s Team and Abhijit Kunte’s role as the captain of the Women’s Team has been crucial for the team’s overall success. Earlier in 2022, when India was the organizer of the tournament, it could only win Bronze in both categories. In the 2014 edition, India had to be content with Bronze in the Open category. In 2020, when the event was held online during the COVID-19 pandemic, India shared Gold with Russia.
The victory is significant because it also marks the third time in the history of the Chess Olympiad that a country has won double Gold after the Soviet Union and China. The Soviet Union, which used to maintain a stronghold in the game of chess and has so far produced the highest number of grandmasters and world champions had achieved double Gold in the 1970s and 1980s. China has achieved the historic feat of securing double Gold in 2018. However, Russia has been banned by FIDE from participation in the chess competition owing to Russia’s escalating role in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict.
How has the world reacted to India’s historic achievement?
The Indian Prime Minister, beaming with pride, wrote in his X handle, “Historic win for India as our chess contingent wins the 45th #FIDE Chess Olympiad! India has won the Gold in both the open and women’s categories at the Chess Olympiad! Congratulations to our incredible Men’s and Women’s Chess Teams. This remarkable achievement marks a new chapter in India’s sports trajectory. May this success inspire generations of chess enthusiasts to excel in the game.”
Viswanathan Anand, elated by the feat, has posted a series of updates in his X profile to congratulate the team and praise the captaincy. He commented, “Congrats to Team India for winning the last round as well! Sensational @DGukesh and @ArjunErigaisi, but also congrats to @viditchess on an impressive result. Great captaincy by @srinathchess”. Besides, Susan Polgar, a Hungarian-American chess grandmaster and Women’s World Chess Champion from 1996 to 1999 has hailed India’s achievements and took to X to express her congratulatory note.
Who were the players?
The players in the men’s team included Arjun Erigaisi, Gukesh Dommaraju, Rameshbabu Praggnandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna and the Women’s Team comprised of Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Tania Sachdev, Vantika Agarwal. The Indian Women’s Team suffered an initial setback when Koneru Humpy, who is the highest ranking women’s chess player in India and currently stands at 6th position in the FIDE ratings after she, withdrew from the Olympiad, citing her focus at World Championship scheduled to be held from 20 November 2024 to 15 December 2024.
What has Viswanathan Anand’s contribution been so far?
India currently has 85 grandmasters in chess, out of whom three are women. Many have credited the unprecedented success in the field of chess to the legacy of Viswanathan Anand, who, as India’s first Grandmaster and former world champion, has planted the seeds of inspiration which have now evidenced itself from the present success that the country is witnessing.
Hikaru Nakamaru, the American chess grandmaster and the reigning World Fischer Random Chess Champion, is definitely one of them who posted, “It is truly unfathomable how this kid would come from a country with no chess culture and not only become World Champion but inspire generations of Indian kids to push chess forward. The legend, @vishy64theking! Huge congratulations to India for winning the @ChessOlympiad!”
Anand, currently ranked at 11, seems worthy of the credit as three of the open team’s top players, namely Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun, are the disciples of Anand and have been thoroughly trained in the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA), a joint initiative by West-Bridge and Viswanathan Anand that aims to positively impact the lives of its fellows by providing the thrust to help them excel in the sport and rewarding them for their achievements. From the Women’s team, Vantika Agrawal and Vaishali Rameshbabu are the mentees of WACA.
What other significant milestone was achieved by the 45th Chess Olympiad?
The 45th Chess Olympiad achieved a significant breakthrough when it allowed the participation of a refugee team for the first time. The move is in line with FIDE’s commitment to the promotion of inclusivity and support for displaced persons after a request was made to that end by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the FIDE Council. FIDE’s inaugural participation in the Global Refugee Forum 2023, held from December 13-15 at Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland, had a considerable bearing on this landmark decision.
Moreover, FIDE’s active role in the promotion of the cause of the refugees has been evident in its initiative called the Chess for Protection project, which has been operational since August 2021. Carried out in collaboration with various organizations like the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the Kenya Chess Federation, and the Kakuma Chess Club, this project provides assistance to displaced communities and promotes chess activities among the Camp inmates.
The historic feat is certainly the beginning. Team India’s spectacular victory at the 45th Chess Olympiad has certainly raised the bar, and the future generations have to meet the rising expectations, taking a cue from the present bunch of chess prodigies.
FAQ
What is the significance of India’s double gold win at the Chess Olympiad?
India’s double gold win is a historic achievement, marking the first time they have won gold in both the Open and Women’s categories. This feat places India among the elite chess-playing nations.
When and where did the 45th Chess Olympiad take place?
The event was held from September 10 to 23, 2024, in Budapest, Hungary. A total of 193 teams participated in the Open Category, and 181 teams took part in the Women’s Category.
Which Indian players won individual gold medals?
Gukesh Dommaraju, Arjun Erigaisi, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agarwal won individual gold medals.
What was the role of Viswanathan Anand in India’s chess success?
Viswanathan Anand, as India’s first Grandmaster and former world champion, has played a crucial role in inspiring and nurturing young Indian chess talent. Many of the players who contributed to India’s success are his disciples.
What was the significant breakthrough achieved in the 45th Chess Olympiad?
The participation of a refugee team was a landmark decision by FIDE, promoting inclusivity and supporting displaced persons. It was in line with the Chess for Protection project by FIDE to promote chess activities among displaced communities and provide assistance to refugee camps.
