Grandmaster D Gukesh played a pivotal role in leading India’s men’s team to their first-ever gold medal at the Chess Olympiad.
The 18-year-old star, who secured eight wins in 11 rounds, emphasized that his focus was solely on the team’s success rather than his personal achievements.
“I was prepared to do whatever it takes to help India win gold,” Gukesh said after India’s dominant performance in the tournament.
India’s men’s team defeated Slovenia 3.5-0.5 in the final round to secure the title, while the women’s team also brought home gold, marking a historic double victory for the nation.
Reflecting on the win, Gukesh expressed his pride in the team’s collective effort: “I feel great, especially with the quality of my games and how we played as a team. Despite many close misses in the past, we managed to dominantly win this time.”
A standout moment for Gukesh was his crucial victory over world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana in the semifinal match against the USA, which helped India edge closer to the gold medal.
However, even in the midst of such a personal triumph, his mindset was clear: “I did not really think about the individual performance much. I just wanted the team to win this time.”
As Gukesh prepares for his upcoming World Championship match against China’s Ding Liren, he remains grounded, focusing entirely on the Olympiad for now.
“I wasn’t thinking about the match. Olympiad is one of the most important tournaments of the year and I just wanted to give it my all and win this tournament,” he explained.
With India’s long-awaited victory in hand, Gukesh and his teammates are ready to celebrate, but only after all formalities are complete.
“Hopefully tonight, when all the duties are done, we’ll get together and maybe just hang out, laugh a bit,” he said with a smile.
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