Mumbai: From film stars to sports stars, everyone is applauding the Indian Chess Team’s historic triumph in the 45th Chess Olympiad. This victory is particularly significant as it marks the first time India’s men’s and women’s teams have clinched gold medals in the championships, a feat that has eluded the country for decades. The 45th Chess Olympiad is a prestigious international chess tournament, and India’s victory is a testament to the country’s growing prowess in the game.
Veteran Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan has extended his best wishes to the Indian chess contingent after they brought home two gold medals in the men’s and women’s categories at the Olympiad.
On Tuesday, the senior actor took to his Instagram and shared a video showing stills of the Indian contingent’s players.
He wrote in the caption, “India’s amazing victory at Chess Olympiad !!! Chess players, full India is grateful. The chest is wide with pride, they have spread the tricolour”.
Team India created history by bagging the first gold medal in the history of the Chess Olympiad for the first time in 45 years. First, the men’s team featuring Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Pentala Harikrishna, and D Gukesh ended India’s 97-year wait to win the first-ever gold in the Chess Olympiad.
The women’s team, comprising Divya Deshmukh, D Harika, Tania Sachdev, Vaishali Rameshbabu, and Vantika Agrawal, demonstrated resilience and skill, winning India’s second gold in the Chess Olympiad 2024, held in Budapest, Hungary.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the Indian team well. He took to his X and wrote, “Historic win for India as our chess contingent wins the 45th #FIDE Chess Olympiad! India has won the Gold in both open and women’s categories at the Chess Olympiad! Congratulations to our incredible Men’s and Women’s Chess Teams.”
He further mentioned, “This remarkable achievement marks a new chapter in India’s sports trajectory. The Indian Chess Team’s victory at the 45th Chess Olympiad is not just a historic moment but also a significant milestone for the future of chess in India. May this success inspire generations of chess enthusiasts to excel in the game and pave the way for more such victories in the future.”
‘Vishy’s children are all grown up’: Garry Kasparov
Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov showered praise on the Indian team for historic double gold in both the men’s and women’s events at the 2024 Chess Olympiad.
“A very impressive double gold achievement by India. “Vishy’s children” are all grown up, and chess is coming home! Two American flags on the podiums are worthy of note as well. Add Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, with no European flags,” Kasparov posted on X.
While appreciating the Indian team’s brilliance, Kasparov complimented his former rival Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand, the Indian chess grandmaster, former five-time World Chess Champion, and record two-time Chess World Cup Champion. He became the first grandmaster from India in 1988 and has the eighth-highest peak FIDE rating of all time.
The men’s team, led by Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Harikrishna Pentala, with Srinath Narayanan as the captain, showed exceptional leadership throughout the tournament. They won 10 matches and drew just one, maintaining a 2-point lead over China before the last round.
In the final round, India only needed a draw to clinch the gold medals or for China not to win their match. However, India continued to press for a win and defeated Slovenia 3.5-0.5.
The women’s team had a very strong start, leading the event after seven rounds, having won all their matches. They stumbled in round 8, losing to Poland and then drawing with Team USA, but made a strong finish. Going into the final round, India was tied first with Kazakhstan, and the race for the medals was down to the wire.
The team of Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali R, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev, with Abhijit Kunte as the captain, demonstrated excellent composure and delivered, winning the final match against Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5. At the same time, Kazakhstan only drew with the USA 2-2, making India the sole event winner.
The Grandmasters
Garry Kasparov held the title of world chess champion for fifteen years, from 1985 to 2000. In 1997, Kasparov famously lost a match to Deep Blue, an IBM supercomputer designed to beat him.
Anand and Kasparov competed at the highest level for more than a decade, beginning with a world championship match in New York in 1995. Anand won ten games against Kasparov.
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–IANS & Media Reports
Chess Olympiad / Photo Credit: X/International Chess federation
