"VAN" (Sports Desk - 23.09.2024) :: India has come a long way since Vishy Anand paved the way for the new generation of chess players. Young talents have emerged and grown to become some of the top players in the world. Gukesh D triumphed at the Candidates Tournament earlier this year, and now India has completely dominated the 45th Chess Olympiad.
The team of Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Harikrishna Pentala, with Srinath Narayanan as the captain, led throughout the tournament, winning 10 matches and drawing one. Before the last round, they were 2 points ahead of China. In the final round, India only needed a draw to confirm the gold medals or for China not to win their match. However, India continued to press for a win and defeated Slovenia 3.5-0.5.
Gukesh played a phenomenal tournament, scoring 9 points in 10 games and earning the individual gold medal on the top board. Arjun Erigaisi was also a hero of the team, scoring 10 points in 11 games and winning individual gold on board three. Both significantly improved their FIDE ratings and are close to breaking the 2800 barrier. In fact, Erigaisi is only a couple of points short of this feat.
The women’s team had a very strong start, leading the event after 7 rounds, having won all their matches. They stumbled in round 8, losing to Poland and then drawing with Team USA, but made a strong comeback in the final rounds. Going into the final round, India was tied for first with Kazakhstan, and the race for the medals was down to the wire.
The team of Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali R, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev, with Abhijit Kunte as the captain, demonstrated strong composure and delivered, winning the final match against Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5. At the same time, Kazakhstan only drew with the USA 2-2, making India the sole winners of the event.
18-year-old Divya Deshmukh, a new addition to the team, was unstoppable throughout the event. She played all games, scored 9.5 points, and secured the crucial victory in the final match. Individual gold on board three is a well-deserved award for her.
The fight for silver and bronze medals was fierce in both sections. Five teams tied for second place in the open section. Team USA, the event’s rating favorite, defeated China in a hard-fought final round to join them at 17 points. Defending champions Uzbekistan narrowly beat France, Serbia triumphed over Ukraine 3.5-0.5, and Armenia narrowly defeated Iran, all to join the pack at 17 points. The tiebreaks favored the USA, which claimed silver, and Uzbekistan, which took bronze.
In the women’s section, Kazakhstan delivered a strong performance throughout the event, fighting for gold until the very end, and ultimately claimed silver. Four teams – USA, Spain, Armenia, and Georgia – tied for third place, but the tiebreaks favored Team USA, which claimed the bronze medals.
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