Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with India’s men’s and women’s chess teams on Wednesday at his residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, to celebrate their historic double gold achievement at the recent Chess Olympiad. The teams shared their experiences and aspirations during the meeting.
Both teams made history by securing gold medals for the first time in their respective categories, joining an elite group of countries that have accomplished this feat in the same edition of the competition.
In the men's tournament, the United States finished second, while Uzbekistan claimed the bronze medal. Kazakhstan took silver in the women's event, with the USA earning the bronze.
In the final round, India's men's team—consisting of D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Pentala Harikrishna—defeated Slovenia 3.5 to 0.5 to clinch the gold. Gukesh and Erigaisi secured early wins, giving India a 2-0 lead. Praggnanandhaa later added another victory, and Vidit ended his match in a draw.
Meanwhile, the Indian women's chess team, featuring Harika Dronavalli, R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agarwal, and Tania Sachdev, also won gold after beating Azerbaijan 3.5 to 0.5. Dronavalli, Deshmukh, and Agarwal each won their matches, while Vaishali drew her bout against Ulviyya Fataliyeva.
(With Inputs From Agencies)