Chess Olympiad | Hail the dazzling stars who have set the gold standard!

We are the champions! The victorious Indian squad is joy unbound as it proudly poses with the the Hamilton-Russell Cup (for winning the Open), Vera Menchik Cup (Women’s Olympiad), and the Gaprindashvili Cup awarded for the best combined result in both sections.
| Photo Credit: FIDE

Chess has returned home, with twin gold.

India’s men and women were crowned the planet’s best nation in the mind sport at Budapest. These ten marvellous players made history at the Chess Olympiad.

D. Gukesh, 18, Chennai, World No. 7: He was a monster on the top board — where he took on India’s toughest opponents — for two Olympiads in a row and won the individual gold on both occasions. He showed at Budapest why he is considered the favourite by many, including his opponent, for the upcoming World championship match against Ding Liren. He was brilliant against World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana of the United States and scored a Carlsenesque victory over Wei Yi of China. The two wins were crucial in India’s march to the gold.

Arjun Erigaisi, 21, Warangal, World No. 4: A phenomenal talent, he was Virender Sehwag of the team at Budapest. He scored heavily on the third board. He was the highest-rated Indian player — yes, higher than Gukesh — was going to destroy his rivals. He did. He is among the most creative players in the world. Like Sehwag, he excels in every format — long, short and the shortest.

R. Praggnanandhaa, 19, Chennai, World No. 12: Until Gukesh won the Candidates tournament in Toronto earlier this year and became the challenger for the World championship, he was perhaps the most talked about young Indian chess player. His astonishing run to the final of the World Cup at Baku last year had caught the country’s imagination. He wasn’t in the best of form at the Olympiad on the second board, but make no mistake, he could hit headlines soon.

Vidit Gujrathi, 29, Nashik, World No. 24: He already feels old looking at his teammates, but his career got a second wind when he won the FIDE Grand Swiss, one of the strongest open tournaments of all time, after starting out as the 15th seed in the Isle of Man last year. The victory not merely gave him a place in the Candidates, but more energy.

India benefited from that at the Olympiad, where he was a solid performer on the fourth board.

P. Harikrishna, 38, Guntur, World No. 41: This was the 11th Olympiad for one of the most prodigious talents to have come out of India. Nobody deserved a maiden Olympiad medal more. He played on the reserve board and won two games and drew the other.

Divya Deshmukh, 18, Nagpur, World No. 15: From the tiny girl that won the National Under-9 girls’ championship in Chennai, held during the 2013 World title match between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen, to the leading scorer for the Indian women’s team at the Olympiad, where she played on the third board, she has come a long way. And she will go a long way. She is not only the World junior champion but also the World No. 1 among junior girls.

Vantika Agrawal, 21, Noida, World No. 75: She rose to the occasion just about every time India needed it. Her contribution on the fourth board was immense.

R. Vaishali, 23, Chennai, World No. 12: It wasn’t the best of Olympiads for her, and she fared worse than her younger brother Praggnanandhaa. But she did score some important points on the second board. She remains one of the fastest rising stars in women’s chess.

D. Harika, 33, Hyderabad, World No. 11: India’s strongest and most experienced player in the absence of Koneru Humpy may have struggled on the top board but scored 1.5 points from the last two rounds to ensure the gold for India.

Tania Sachdev, 38, New Delhi, World No. 58: More of a popular commentator and television presenter these days, she played on the reserve board and did what was asked of her. She remained unbeaten and scored 3.5 points from five rounds.