India’s Triumph: Double Gold Victory at Chess Olympiad Showcases Dominant New Generation – An Emotional Win!
India’s performance at the 188-team Budapest Olympiad was nothing short of dominant. They set a record with a winning Open score of 21/22, finishing four points clear of the competition. Four individual gold medals contributed to their success, including a standout performance by 18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju, who delivered a 3000+ rating performance and will challenge for the world championship in November. This victory is seen as a pivotal moment in chess history, likened to the 1945 USA vs. USSR radio match, which heralded Soviet dominance in the sport.
India’s current superiority in chess is reminiscent of the legendary USSR teams of the 1950s and 1960s. Gukesh and 21-year-old Arjun Erigaisi are being compared to chess giants Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov or Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov. Impressively, for the first time, no European team reached the podium in either the Open or Women’s events, though spots five through 23 in the Open were all taken by European teams.
Gukesh and Erigaisi’s remarkable performances outpaced even Magnus Carlsen, the world’s No. 1, who settled for top board bronze. Both players have climbed the global rankings significantly, with Gukesh now ranked No. 5 and Erigaisi at No. 3. They are expected to surpass the 2800 rating soon, potentially challenging Carlsen’s current top mark of 2830 in the near future.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the teams’ achievements, while Gukesh’s victory over China’s Wei Yi was named the Olympiad’s Best Game. The upcoming world championship match between Gukesh and China’s Ding Liren, beginning in Singapore on November 25, could further elevate Gukesh’s status.
The result redeemed India’s disappointing finish at the 2022 Chennai Olympiad. This time, Uzbekistan took bronze, behind India and the United States, a solid performance for their young team led by world No. 6, Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The U.S., without Hikaru Nakamura, settled for silver after losses to India and Ukraine. Final standings saw India at 21/22, with the U.S., Uzbekistan, China, Serbia, and Armenia all tied at 17 points but differentiated by tie-breaks.
England, seeded eighth, ended up 20th. Among them, Michael Adams, aged 51, was the highest scorer with an unbeaten 6/9. The Women’s Olympiad saw India taking gold with Kazakhstan and the U.S. earning silver and bronze, respectively.
In October, London will host the Tech Mahindra Global League, featuring world champions Magnus Carlsen and Vishy Anand, and other top players competing in rapid chess format, promising fans exciting matches.
Original Story https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/sep/27/chess-india-win-double-gold-as-new-generation-dominates-at-olympiad
Category :
Tags:
