Chess Olympiad: Double delight for India as they clinch gold medals in Open and Women’s events; Gukesh, Arjun and Divya star once more

The golden was inactive to beryllium decided but aft the USA vs Kazakhstan lucifer ended successful a draw, the women’s squad golden was besides confirmed.

The men’s squad were each but assured of golden aft their superb triumph against USA successful the penultimate circular of Saturday. World Championship challenger Gukesh and Arjun yet again delivered successful cardinal games to assistance India unafraid its archetypal rubric successful the unfastened category.

Up against Slovenia, Gukesh was astatine his precise champion successful the method signifier of the crippled arsenic achromatic against Vladimir Fedoseev. Though it was a dependable victory, the 18-year-old Grandmaster was spot connected with his tremendous strategical display. Arjun besides won with achromatic connected the 3rd committee against Jan Subelj retired of a astonishing Scandinavian defence opening game. If this was not enough, Praggnanadhaa struck signifier and scored a crushing triumph implicit Anton Demchenko from what seemed to beryllium a definite draw, arsenic India secured 3-0 triumph implicit Slovenia with 1 crippled inactive remaining. Vidit past played retired a gully arsenic India confirmed a golden medal that was connected the cards for a while, fixed their stunning commencement to the tournament.

The Indian men ended up with a singular 21 points retired of a imaginable 22. They conceded conscionable a lone 2-2 gully to Uzbekistan portion beating the remainder of the opponents.

Heading into Sunday’s last circular of matches, some Indian teams were connected apical of the Olympiad standings. In the unfastened conception India defeated the USA, the apical seeds heading into the tourney aft Gukesh took down World No 3 Fabiano Caruana portion Arjun Erigaisi defeated Leinier Dominguez Perez.

The Indian women’s team, who had a setback successful the second stages with a decision against Poland, defeated China and enactment themselves successful a beardown presumption to instrumentality gold. After a dilatory commencement successful the necktie against Azerbaijan, India made a beardown decorativeness led by a good triumph for Harika. The prima of the tourney for the women’s squad was Divya, who finished the tourney with a superb show of 9.5 retired of 11. On the men’s side, Gukesh — connected the apical board, particularly — registered a phenomenal 9 retired of 10, portion Arjun was connected occurrence with 10 retired of 11.

India winning a golden medal successful the 2 sections astatine the Budapest Olympiad was different milestone successful what has been 1 of the top years for Indian chess. The twelvemonth could get adjacent amended successful December with Gukesh having the accidental to go the youngest-ever satellite champion astatine the property of 18, if helium tin bushed satellite champion Ding Liren.