India capped off their 2024 Chess Olympiad campaign in Budapest with a gold medal each in both the open and women’s event on Sunday.
While the Indian open team beat Slovenia 3.5-0.5 to win the title, the women’s team took down Azerbaijan by the same margin in the final round of play.
Arjun Erigaisi was the first to win his game against Slovenia as he got the better of GM Jan Subelj on the third board to give India an early advantage.
Gukesh Dommaraju followed it up with a win of his own minutes later against Vladimir Fedoseev on the top board to give India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the match.
India needed only a draw in the match against Slovenia, and the victories from Erigaisi and Gukesh all but secured the gold medal for team.
Later in the day, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu won his game on the second board against Anton Demchenko with the white pieces before Vidit Gujrathi played out a draw on the fourth board against Matej Sebenik to bring curtains down on a highly successful campaign for India.
India finished the tournament with 21 points out of a possible 22, dropping a point with a draw only against the reigning champions Uzbekistan.
India had previously won two bronze medals – in 2014 and 2022 – in the open event at the 2024 Chess Olympiad.
India women win gold
The young Divya Deshmukh led the Indian charge in the women’s team as they beat Azerbaijan in the final round to win a first-ever gold medal at the Chess Olympiad.
Deshmukh beat Govhar Beydullayeva on the third board with the white pieces to put India 1-0 up in the match early on.
Vaishali Rameshbabu then played out a draw against Ulviyya Fataliyeva, before Harika Dronavalli beat Gunay Mamadzada on the top board with the white pieces.
Vantika Agrawal secured the match win for India, winning her topsy turvy game against Khanim Balajayeva.
Despite the clinical win, India were assured of the gold medal in the women’s event only after Kazakhstan were held to a draw by the United States of America in their match.
India finished the tournament with 19 points, losing only a single match against Poland. The gold medal finish adds to the Indian women’s team solitary bronze medal at the Olympiad two years back in Chennai.
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