India secures historic double gold at FIDE Chess Olympiad 2024

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India has made chess history by winning team gold medals in both the men's and women's categories at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad, held in Budapest, Hungary. Alongside these team victories, India claimed four individual gold medals, solidifying the country's rise as a leading force in the world of chess.

In the men's Open event, Indian chess stars Gukesh Dommaraju, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi secured the gold medal. The women's team, featuring Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev, also achieved top honors by winning their final match against Azerbaijan.

India’s victories included standout performances by Gukesh, Erigaisi, Deshmukh, and Agrawal, who won individual gold medals on their respective boards. The men's team triumphed in 27 of their 44 games, defeating Slovenia in their final round with a score of 3.5-0.5. The women's team won by the same margin against Azerbaijan.

Eighteen-year-old Divya Deshmukh was a notable player in the women’s team, remaining undefeated throughout the competition. After the win, she expressed pride in how the team overcame challenges, saying, “I feel quite overwhelmed with emotions.”

Susan Polgar, a Hungarian American chess legend, praised Deshmukh's performance and predicted that India will remain a chess powerhouse for years to come.

The final standings saw India leading in both categories, with the USA, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and others trailing behind.