Modi's Chess Gambit: Honoring India's Olympiad Gold-Winning Teams

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the Indian chess teams, who recently won gold medals at the Olympiad for the first time, to his residence. Modi discussed various topics including AI's role in chess. Players shared their experiences and goals, and were surprised by Modi's personal knowledge of them.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the Olympiad gold-winning Indian chess teams, engaging in discussions about Artificial Intelligence, an impending birthday, and India's aspirations to become a sporting powerhouse.

Both the men’s and women’s teams, who clinched gold medals for the first time in the event, recounted their experiences and queried Modi about his interest in sports during the Thursday evening interaction. The men’s team featured notable players like D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and captain Srinath Narayanan, while the women’s team included R Vaishali, Tania Sachdev, and captain Abhijit Kunte.

Modi expressed interest in their exceptional performance, especially how the men's team amassed 21 of 22 points and the women's team 19 out of 22. The players, including Harika and Sachdev, shared their triumphs despite previous setbacks. Modi also explored how AI is transforming chess, with players like Praggnanandhaa emphasizing its impact. The PM highlighted the role of sports as indicators of national growth, apart from economic metrics. The players were charmed by his attentiveness, particularly Vantika, who was surprised Modi knew her birthday.

(With inputs from agencies.)