Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Indian Chess Olympiad Champions at his residence

India’s chess champions made history at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, securing their first-ever gold medals in both the men’s and women’s categories. Two days after this remarkable achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the victorious teams at his residence in New Delhi.

During the interaction, PM Modi had the opportunity to meet and interact with the chess champions, including R Vaishali, D Harika, Tania Sachdev, Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, and Praggnanandhaa. The players even presented the Prime Minister with a chessboard, showcasing their appreciation for his support.

The highlight of the meeting was a quick game of chess played between Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi, which left PM Modi spellbound. The Sports Ministry shared a video of the Indian chess contingent heading to meet the Prime Minister, expressing pride in their historic victory.

In the final round of the competition, the men’s team defeated Slovenia and the women’s team triumphed over Azerbaijan, securing their gold medals. D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa played crucial roles in India’s victory, with Gukesh winning 10 out of 11 rounds in the Open category.

The Indian men’s team finished with an impressive 21 out of 22 possible points in Budapest, with USA securing the second spot and Uzbekistan winning the bronze. In the women’s competition, Kazakhstan secured silver while USA took home the bronze.

The historic double gold medal victory at the Chess Olympiad 2024 has not only brought glory to India but has also showcased the immense talent and potential of the country’s chess players on the global stage.