Golden Victory: Indian Women Claim Chess Olympiad Title

India made history at the Chess Olympiad title in Budapest on Sunday, September 22, 2024. After the men’s team won their gold medal, the women’s team followed suit, also securing gold.

Final Match Highlights

In their last match, India defeated Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5. Key players Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal all won their games, while Vaishali Rameshbabu drew her match. Although they won, India needed the USA to draw against Kazakhstan to guarantee their top spot.

India was crowned champions when the USA held Kazakhstan to a 2-2 draw. If Kazakhstan had won, there would have been tie-break matches.

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Key Performances

Earlier in the competition, International Master Vantika Agrawal played a crucial role by beating Grandmaster Irina Krush, which helped India secure a draw against the USA in the ninth round. The Indian team had rested Grandmaster D Harika due to poor form, and Vaishali lost her match. Divya also drew her game against Carissa Yip. Tania Sachdev, who was in a strong position, settled for a draw against Alice Lee, leaving Vantika to equalize the score.

Overall Journey

The Indian team performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament, starting with eight straight wins before drawing against defending champions Uzbekistan. They clinched the title after defeating top-seeded USA in the penultimate round, finishing ahead of China, who dropped points against the USA.

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