The Budapest Gambit: How India outplayed the world to win double gold at Chess Olympiad

In a historic moment for Indian chess, the nation has achieved an unprecedented double gold at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. This remarkable feat, accomplished on Sunday, marks a watershed moment in the country's chess history and solidifies India's position as a global powerhouse in the sport.

The Indian open team, led by the prodigious talents of Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, and Arjun Erigaisi, dominated the tournament with an impressive 21 out of 22 match points. Their final round victory against Slovenia, with a convincing 3.5-0.5 score, was a testament to their unwavering focus and competitive spirit.

The women's team, featuring seasoned players like Harika Dronavalli alongside rising stars such as Divya Deshmukh, secured their gold with a crucial win against Azerbaijan in the final round, amassing 19 match points.

This double triumph is not merely a statistical achievement but a culmination of years of strategic investment in chess development in India. The legacy of Viswanathan Anand, India's first Grandmaster and former world champion, is evident in the success of the current generation. Three of the open team's top players - Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun - are products of the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA), an initiative spearheaded by Anand himself to nurture young talent.



The rapid rise of these young players is particularly noteworthy. Gukesh, at just 18 years old, remained undefeated throughout the Olympiad and even scored a victory against Fabiano Caruana, a former world championship contender. Arjun Erigaisi's ascent to the world's top three players, behind only Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, further underscores the depth of talent in the Indian team.

This success story is even more impressive considering the challenges posed by the global pandemic in recent years. Despite the disruptions, these young prodigies have not only continued their development but have surpassed expectations, with some now boasting higher ratings than Anand himself.

The women's team's performance was equally stellar, with 18-year-old Divya Deshmukh emerging as a standout player. Her unbeaten run and crucial victory in the final match earned her an individual gold medal on board three, highlighting the bright future of women's chess in India.



The Olympiad itself was a monumental event, featuring a record-breaking 193 teams in the Open section and 181 in the Women's competition. This level of participation underscores the global appeal of chess and the prestige associated with the Olympiad.

While India's triumph was the headline story, the battle for silver and bronze medals in both sections was fiercely contested. In the Open category, five teams tied for second place with 17 points, with the USA and Uzbekistan ultimately securing silver and bronze respectively after tiebreaks. The women's section saw Kazakhstan claim silver, while Team USA edged out Spain, Armenia, and Georgia for bronze in another tight contest.

This double gold medal performance represents a significant improvement from India's bronze medals in both sections at the 2022 Olympiad held in Mamallapuram, Chennai. The progression from bronze to gold in just two years reflects the rapid development and growing confidence of Indian chess.

Looking ahead, the chess community in India and beyond is now eagerly anticipating the World Chess Championship later this year, where Gukesh will have the opportunity to compete against China’s Ding Liren for the world title. A victory there would cap off an extraordinary year for Indian chess and potentially usher in a new era of dominance.

The success of the Indian teams at the 2024 Chess Olympiad is not just a triumph of individual talent but a testament to the country's systematic approach to nurturing chess excellence. From grassroots development to high-performance training academies, India has created a robust ecosystem that is now bearing fruit on the global stage. As the chess world looks on, it's clear that India's ascendancy in the sport is no fleeting phenomenon but the dawn of a new chess superpower.

(The writer is a Mumbai based tech entrepreneur and an avid chess enthusiast)


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