Chess Olympiad: India win historic double gold in men's and women's open events

The Indian contingent brought home the laurels with their maiden Open event gold medal wins in men's and women's competitionsat the ongoing 45th Chess Olympiad in Hungary, Budapest on Sunday (Sep 22).

Sitting in a comfortable position following their impressive win over the USA on Saturday, the Indian men's chess team had to avoid a defeat against Slovenia in the final round, but the trio of D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa went a step ahead, winning their respective matches in the 11th and final round match. India pipped China to take home the glory.

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Meanwhile, the Indian chess prodigy and World Championship contender D Gukesh capped off a brilliant Olympiad with a win over Russian Vladimir Fedoseev to help India clinch a historic gold medal. On the other hand, Arjun Erigaisi, who also enjoyed a spectacular outing in Budapest, picked up a win over Serbian Jan Subelj in the final round.

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Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa delivered a stunning show against Anton Demchenko, securing a massive 3-0 win over Slovenia with one game remaining.

The Indian men’s team wrapped up the 45th Olympiad with a splendid 21 points out of a possible 22.

Though they just played their only draw against Uzbekistan, India was victorious against remaining opponents, including China.

Women’s Team wins rare double gold for India

Besides the men’s team, the Indian women’s team completed a rare double gold for the country with a 3.5-0.5 win over Azerbaijan on Sunday.

While D Harika led the Indian women’s chess team with a dominant performance on the top board, Divya Deshmukh continued her impressive run with an individual gold medal on the third board.

Following R Vaishali’s draw, Vantika Agrawal's outstanding performance ensured Indian contingent scripts history in Budapest.

Meanwhile, this achievement at this global event marks a colossal moment in India's chess history, reflecting their growing prowess on an international stage.

(With inputs from agencies)