Chess Glory: It was one of the most dominant performances in chess history, coming from India’s golden generation, which secured two gold medals at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Alongside the team triumphs, individual gold medals were won by D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal.

The Indian men’s team was especially formidable, losing just one out of 44 games, winning 27, and drawing the rest. They finished the event by comfortably defeating Slovenia with three wins and a draw. The women’s team was equally impressive, defeating Azerbaijan with three wins and a draw. Remarkably, India’s top female player, Koneru Humpy, chose to skip the Olympiad, yet the team still clinched gold, highlighting the depth of Indian chess.

Gukesh and Erigaisi took individual top honors in the open section, while Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal led the women’s category with standout performances.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand praised the teams, describing it as a “magical time for India.” He added that the Indian men’s team was “so dominant” and that the country’s young chess players consistently exceeded expectations. Susan Polgar, former women’s world champion, declared on X that “India is now officially the best chess nation in the world!”

Indian chess had its best year ever in 2024, with 18-year-old Gukesh now world no. 5 and Arjun rising to no. 3 in live rankings. India also made history by qualifying three players for the elite Candidates tournament for the first time, while two Indian women qualified for the Women’s Candidates tournament. Gukesh became the youngest player ever to win the event, and R Praggnanandhaa defeated world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the classical format at the Norway Chess tournament.

These feats highlight individual brilliance, but the twin golds at the Olympiad solidified India’s status as a chess superpower. Indian team captain Srinath Narayanan emphasized the significance of the victory, noting the personal motivation of each player to win the country’s first-ever offline Olympiad gold.

The triumph was particularly meaningful for Gukesh, who experienced heartbreak at the 2022 Olympiad after a costly blunder denied India the gold. He vowed to win the team gold this time, setting aside individual aspirations.

Winning these twin gold medals could be a transformative moment for Indian chess. Sameer Pathak, CEO of the Global Chess League, likened it to India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup victory, which triggered a commercial revolution in Indian cricket. Pathak explained that India’s strong performance in the 2020 Online Chess Olympiad was the catalyst for launching the multi-million-dollar Global Chess League, further elevating the country’s status as a chess powerhouse.