Golden Era of Indian Chess: Vidit Gujrathi Hails Historic Victory at 2024 Olympiad

India's chess players triumphed at the 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad, winning gold in both men's and women's events. Vidit Gujrathi, part of the victorious squad, described this achievement as the dawn of a golden era for Indian chess. The men's and women's teams showcased remarkable performances in the tournament.

By Shaurya Dutt

After winning the Chess Olympiad 2024, Vidit Gujrathi, a member of India's victorious men's squad, remarked that the golden era of chess has just begun for his country.

India delivered a remarkable performance at the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, securing gold medals in both the men's and women's events on Sunday. "We can call it a golden era for Indian chess, as gold has been won. The same team competed in the Asian Games, but I think everyone has stepped up their game over the past year. We were winning by significant margins, and it was a dominant performance," Vidit said while speaking to ANI.

Gujrathi also addressed an incident where he missed shaking hands with his opponent, Levon Aronian. "I have a routine of meditating before every match, which helps me stay focused and perform better. I was busy with that, which is why I missed shaking hands with him. When I opened my eyes, I then shook hands with him," the 29-year-old explained.

Vidit highlighted the Indian team's stellar achievement of remaining unbeaten in the tournament, which included 43 wins and one draw in 44 matches, stating that it would be difficult to break this record, even for themselves. "Everyone was saying we were among the favourites, but nobody expected this level of performance from us. In the history of the Chess Olympiad, this is the highest score ever recorded. It was unprecedented, and I don't think even we will be able to break our own record in the future," he added.

The player also spoke about the growth of chess in India. "It's similar with every sport. People discovered Neeraj Chopra after he won gold at the Olympics, and then they began staying up late to watch his events. Similarly, cricket gained massive popularity after India won the 1983 World Cup. These moments act as catalysts for increasing engagement with sports that aren't traditionally popular. They inspire youngsters to take up these sports," Vidit said.

He concluded by praising his teammates D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi for their outstanding performances throughout the tournament. "Everyone played their part, but Arjun and Gukesh went above and beyond. Gukesh won a crucial match against China for us, and Arjun was winning with both black and white pieces. These two were exceptional, and it's hard to deny that," Vidit concluded.

The USA secured second place in the men's competition and bronze in the women's. Uzbekistan won the bronze in the men's competition, while Kazakhstan took silver in the women's event. In the final round, India's men's team, consisting of D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Pentala Harikrishna, beat Slovenia to claim the gold medal.

Victories from D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi gave India a 2-0 lead, securing the gold. In the final round, Praggnanandhaa also won his game, and Vidit ended his with a draw. India defeated Slovenia 3.5-0.5 to seal the gold medal. Meanwhile, the Indian women's chess team of Harika Dronavalli, R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agarwal, and Tania Sachdev also won gold after defeating Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5.

Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agarwal won their respective matches in the final round, while R Vaishali drew her game against Ulviyya Fataliyeva. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)