India created history in Budapest by clinching gold in both the men’s and women’s competitions at the Chess Olympiad on September 22.
Initially, after the men’s team’s historic victory, the women’s team, comprising Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, Tania Sachdev, and captain Abhijit Kunte, secured the gold medal, completing a historic double for India in the Chess Olympiad.
India defeated Slovenia 3.5-0.5 in Round 11 on Sunday to win the gold in the Open section by two match points. While Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh, and R Praggnanandhaa secured wins, Vidit Gujrathi drew his game.
India put on a dominant show, losing only one game out of 44 over 11 rounds. Gukesh delivered one of the greatest Olympiad performances in history, with a 9/10 score and a 3056-performance rating. Gukesh and Arjun also won individual gold medals for Board 1 and 3, respectively. Harika, Divya, and Vantika in the women’s team won their matches, while Vaishali secured a draw.
Following India’s spectacular performance in Budapest, many female cricketers reacted to the clinical performance of India’s chess teams. Former Indian captain Mithali Raj tweeted, celebrating the double gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad 2024. She mentioned that it was a historic moment, not only because both the women’s and men’s teams achieved gold, but also acknowledged it as a proud moment for the entire nation.
India strikes gold twice! 🇮🇳🥇
Both our women’s and men’s teams have made history at the 45th #ChessOlympiad2024!
A proud moment for Indian chess and a celebration of grit, talent, and determination.
Congratulations, champions! ♟️ pic.twitter.com/7oZA24VTWD
— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) September 22, 2024