India Dominates 45th Chess Olympiad, Wins Gold in Both Open and Women’s Competitions
India delivered a stellar performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad, winning gold medals in both the Open and Women’s competitions. The Indian team, led by captain Srinath Narayanan, featured top talents Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Harikrishna Pentala. They dominated the tournament, winning 10 matches and drawing one, finishing two points ahead of China before the final round. In the last round, India only needed a draw to secure gold but pushed forward, defeating Slovenia 3.5-0.5 to claim the title.
Gukesh D was a standout performer, scoring 9 points in 10 games and earning the individual gold medal on board one. Arjun Erigaisi also played an exceptional tournament, scoring 10 points in 11 games and winning gold on board three. Both players significantly boosted their FIDE ratings, with Erigaisi nearing the prestigious 2800 rating mark.
In the Women’s competition, India’s team—comprising Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali R, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev, with Abhijit Kunte as the captain—showed great resilience. After a strong start, winning all their matches through the first seven rounds, the team faced a setback in round 8, losing to Poland and drawing with the USA. However, they bounced back in the final round, defeating Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5 to secure the gold. Kazakhstan, who was tied with India going into the final round, could only manage a 2-2 draw against the USA, allowing India to clinch the title.
18-year-old Divya Deshmukh, a rising star, was a key player in the tournament. She scored 9.5 points and won individual gold on board three, cementing her status as a crucial member of the team.
The competition for the silver and bronze medals was intense in both sections. In the Open section, five teams tied for second place. Team USA, the top-rated team in the event, defeated China in a closely fought final round and claimed silver. Uzbekistan secured the bronze medal, edging out other contenders such as Serbia, Armenia, and China based on tiebreak scores.
In the Women’s section, Kazakhstan took home the silver medal after a strong overall performance. The fight for bronze saw four teams—USA, Spain, Armenia, and Georgia—tied, but tiebreaks favored Team USA, who took home the bronze.
Key Results from the Final Round:
Open:
- Slovenia 0.5-3.5 India
- China 1.5-2.5 USA
- Uzbekistan 2.5-1.5 France
- Serbia 3.5-0.5 Ukraine
- Armenia 2.5-1.5 Iran
Women:
- India 3.5-0.5 Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan 2-2 USA
- Poland 0.5-3.5 Georgia
- Hungary 0.5-3.5 Spain
- Armenia 3-1 Germany
Final Standings of Top Teams:
Open:
- India – 21 points
- USA – 17 points
- Uzbekistan – 17 points
- China – 17 points
- Serbia – 17 points
- Armenia – 17 points
- Germany – 16 points
- Azerbaijan – 16 points
- Slovenia – 16 points
- Spain – 16 points
Women:
- India – 19 points
- Kazakhstan – 18 points
- USA – 17 points
- Spain – 17 points
- Armenia – 17 points
- Georgia – 17 points
- China – 16 points
- Ukraine – 16 points
- Poland – 16 points
- Bulgaria – 16 points
