India became only the third country to win both the men's and women's gold medals at the same Chess Olympiad.
'The Indian Open team was extremely well prepared and motivated to win the gold medal.' 'With two players in the world top 10 club, and four players with over 2,700 ELO points (GMs Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, all below 20) and Vidit Gujrathi and P Harikrishna, it was a solid team.'
Queen of Chess is a moving and powerful sports documentary about the highest-rated woman player in the history of chess. 'For me, it is a deeply personal reminder of where we came from, and what it took to get there,' notes Susan Polgar as she reviews her sister Judit Polgar's Netflix documentary, Queen Of Chess.
Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh sealed a remarkable Chess Olympiad campaign with a decisive victory over GM Vladimir Fedoseev on Sunday in Hungary.
'For us as it was for Judit it was never a men's world; it was always study, analyse, study, analyse and be confident,' recalls Woman International Master Jayashree Khadilkar Pande.
An "embarrassed" All India Chess Federation (AICF) has filed a police complaint after a Chess Olympiad trophy its team won in the last edition of the tournament at home went missing from its office, forcing the sports body to arrange for a replica of the prized possession and tender an apology.
World No 1 Magnus Carlsen narrowly avoided forfeiting his third-round game against Roberto Garcia Pantoja at the Chess Olympiad due to a late arrival.
Hungary will officially host the 45th edition of the Olympiad for the first time, having hosted the second unofficial Chess Olympiad in 1926.
The Indian men's team got off to another 3-0 start, led by Dommaraju Gukesh's triumph over H Stefansson of Iceland, in the second round.
D GukeshGrandmaster R Vaishali and Vantika Agrawal put up impressive performances as Indian women defeated Georgia while World Championship challenger D Gukesh led the men to victory over China in the seventh round as both teams continued their unbeaten streak in 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest.
The Indian women's chess team etched their names in history by securing their maiden Chess Olympiad title, defeating Azerbaijan in a decisive 3.5-0.5 victory in Budapest.
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi scored his fourth victory on the trot and gave India an early lead in the match against Serbia in the fourth round of the ongoing 45th Chess Olympiad.
World number four Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi registered his sixth victory in as many games as the Indian team was poised to score its sixth straight win in the ongoing 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary on Monday.
The All India Chess Federation announced a whopping Rs 3.2 crore in rewards for the historic 45th Olympiad-winning Indian teams during a felicitation ceremony in New Delhi on Wednesday.
'On one hand, he is efficient, disciplined, and deeply professional, with his entire team working like clockwork.' 'On the other hand, he is approachable, warm, and often light-hearted -- someone who can crack a joke and make you feel at ease.'
India will field three teams each in the Open and women's sections respectively.
India were handed hosting rights in April when FIDE decided to shift the event outside the original host country, Russia.
Mothers competing in elite chess will be able to take advantage of a new set of family-friendly policies being introduced by the International Chess Federation
Following Arjun's win, World Championship challenger D Gukesh put it across Parham Maghsoodloo with black pieces, swindling the Iranian towards the end of the first time-control.
'It is surprising that Pakistan has suddenly taken the decision of not participating in the FIDE Chess Olympiad, particularly after the team has already reached India'.
India men dropped their first point, but carried enough steam to beat Hungary to maintain a clean slate in the ongoing 45th Chess Olympiad.
Lots to look forward to in Indian sports as packed 2026 calender awaits
Modi also congratulated individual members of the Indian contingent who won board medals. "These are outstanding players who have shown remarkable grit and tenacity. Best wishes for their future endeavours," he said.
In the open section too the Indian men were poised for an easy victory against Hungary 'B' team. The hero of the day was Arjun Erigaise who played a brilliant attacking game against Peter Prohazska and ended with a checkmate after a queen sacrifice.
The closing ceremony of the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad turned out to be a social evening
Vantika Agrawal delivered when it mattered most as she defeated Grandmaster Irina Krush, helping India secure a 2-2 draw against United States.
After scoring their fifth victory on the trot, the Indian men maintained their joint lead with 10 points along with China, Vietnam and Hungary.
Erigaisi may have had to work harder but the Indian youngster, who is currently World number four, was never quite away from winning his game.
With Georgia likely to post a victory against overnight leader Kazakhstan, it seemed that the Indian eves were likely to regain the top position and become the firm favourites for the gold medal again.
Koneru Humpy's non-participation in the event has not hampered the team's chances much as Vaishali has jumped significantly in rankings and is a force to reckon with in the women's circle.
It has bolstered the home team's medal chances at the 14-day event, which is expected to see massive participation from more than 150 countries.
If a player is strong in defence then he/she should be given training in attack or vice versa.
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) on Saturday said it will be bidding to host the 44th Chess Olympiad later this year after the prestigious event was moved out of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
The Indian teams made winning starts in the Open and women's sections of the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai on Friday.
Former women's World champion Susan Polgar feels that the rising strength of Indian players makes them favourites to grab three out of the six medals at stake.
IDE, for the very first time has instituted the torch relay, which is part of the Olympic tradition but was never done in the Chess Olympiad.
The FIDE World Cup for chess will be held between October 30 and November 27, 2025.
India and Russia were on Sunday declared joint winners of the 2020 Online Chess Olympiad after the final was marred by internet disconnection and server malfunction. This was the first time FIDE, the international chess federation, was holding the Olympiad in an online format, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made by Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on his Twitter page
The event is held over 11 rounds in both open and women's categories with likely participation of over 2,000 players.
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