Budapest: India achieved a historic victory by clinching maiden dual gold medals in both the open and women’s sections of the Chess Olympiad on Sunday, with D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and Divya Deshmukh winning individual gold medals.
Previously, India secured gold in both categories at the SYMA Sports and Conference Centre in Budapest, Hungary.
The Indian team dominated the tournament, making history with its first-ever gold medals and earning individual accolades for their performances.
In the open section, India won ten of its eleven rounds, only drawing against the defending champion, Uzbekistan. Similarly, in the women’s section, India triumphed in nine out of eleven rounds.
World Championship contender D. Gukesh delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 9 points in 10 games and securing the individual gold medal on the top board with a performance rating of 3056, surpassing the 3000 mark—a feat unmatched by any other player in the tournament.
Arjun Erigaisi contributed significantly to the team’s success, scoring 10 points in 11 games and capturing individual gold on board three.
Both Indian grandmasters saw a substantial increase in their FIDE ratings, nearing the 2800 threshold.
Divya Deshmukh, the 18-year-old newcomer to the women’s team, was formidable throughout the tournament. She played in all matches, scored 9.5 points, and won the decisive final match, earning her the individual gold on board three.
Vantika Agrawal also claimed an individual gold medal on board four.
Furthermore, India retained the Gaprindashvili Cup at the 2024 Chess Olympiad, an honour bestowed upon the nation with the most outstanding combined performance in both the open and women’s sections.
Comments are closed.