India won its maiden Chess Olympiad gold medals in both the open and women’s sections at the SYMA Sports and Conference Centre in Budapest, Hungary, in a landmark day for Indian chess. The dominance of the Indian contingent was again registered as it won 10 out of 11 rounds in the open section and 9 out of 11 rounds in the women’s competition.
Gukesh Wins with Outstanding Success
The charge was led by World Championship challenger D. Gukesh, who took individual gold on top board after 9/10. His rating performance of 3056 alone stood above all those played in the tournament, crossing the 3000+ mark-a patently obvious signal for great things in the chess world.
Erigaisi and Deshmukh Claim Individual Golds
Arjun Erigaisi was not far behind, winning individual gold on board three with 10 points in 11 games. Both grandmasters have moved closer to the elite 2800 FIDE rating threshold.
In the women’s section, Divya Deshmukh from Jamnagar turned out as the biggest shock package at 18 as she produced an individual gold on board three, scoring 9.5 points and getting the winning end in the final round. India’s great output was completed by Vantika Agrawal who is an individual gold medalist on board four.
India Defends the Gaprindashvili Trophy
Besides the twin golds, India retained the prestigious Gaprindashvili Trophy for the best all-round performance in both sections. This consolidation places India among the powerhouse countries in chess at the global level.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
