All posts tagged: olympiad

Gukesh, Pragg headline as India announce team for 2026 Chess Olympiad

Gukesh, Pragg headline as India announce team for 2026 Chess Olympiad

Published by Webster

3 min readJul 24, 2026 07:00 AM IST India on Thursday announced its team for the upcoming Chess Olympiad, headlined by Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi in the Open section with Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh and Vaishali Rameshbabu the big names in the Women’s section. The Chess Olympiad will start on Sept 15 and go on till Sept 27 at Samarkand, Uzbekistan. India will be a little concerned about the form of world champion Gukesh who hasn’t had the best of times since becoming world champion. In the space of 19 months, he’s lost 75 rating points. In the recently concluded Chennai Grand Masters, Gukesh’s lost three of his seven matches and finished last with 2 points. Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan said about Gukesh that confidence is his superpower, and when he’s low on that, it affects his results. “Gukesh is very good at calculation. But there’s an element of confidence in his game, which is probably one of the reasons why there are a lot of ups and downs in his play. When he’s really …

Gukesh, Humpy to lead Indian teams at 2026 Chess Olympiad

Gukesh, Humpy to lead Indian teams at 2026 Chess Olympiad

Published by Webster

The reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and veteran Koneru Humpy will lead the Indian teams for the 2026 Chess Olympiad later this year. The tournament is slated to be held from 16 to 27 September, 2026 in Samarkad, Uzbekistan. Joining Gukesh in the men’s teams will be Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Nihal Sarin. Meanwhile the women’s team will feature Divya Deshmukh, Savita Shri, Rameshbabu Vaishali, and Vantika Agarwal to accompany Humpy. 🇮🇳♟ Introducing Team India for the FIDE Chess Olympiad! India (Open): Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa R, Nihal Sarin and Vidit GujrathiCaptain: Srinath Narayanan India (Women): Humpy Koneru, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal and Savitha Shri B… pic.twitter.com/Um9qX7JyLf — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 23, 2026 Both the Indian teams will enter the tournament as the defending champions, having won the title in Budapest in a watershed moment for Indian chess two years ago. From the victorious men’s team, the only change is Nihal being drafted in, replacing Pentala Harikrishna. Meanwhile, the women’s team has changes with Koneru Humpy and …

On losing spree, how Chess Olympiad could be the tonic world champ Gukesh needs

On losing spree, how Chess Olympiad could be the tonic world champ Gukesh needs

Published by Webster

5 min readJul 21, 2026 08:58 PM IST Just a couple of hours before Gukesh D slumped to another defeat, this time to compatriot Pranesh M, Srinath Narayanan was deconstructing the 20-year-old’s recent issues over the board. Since becoming world champion in December 2024, Gukesh has yet to win a tournament, a streak unlikely to end at the ongoing Chennai Grand Masters, where he has lost five games in six rounds to be anchored to the bottom in the eight-player tournament. Srinath’s assessment was simple: confidence is Gukesh’s superpower, and when he’s low on that, it affects his results. “Gukesh is very good at calculation. But there’s an element of confidence in his game, which is probably one of the reasons why there are a lot of ups and downs in his play. When he’s really confident, he plays the same way, but he pulls off things. But when his confidence is impacted a bit, there are also big drops in his play,” Srinath said. Round 5 of Chennai Grand Masters on Tuesday before Gukesh …

Koneru Humpy at peace with Candidates boycott, open to playing at Chess Olympiad

Koneru Humpy at peace with Candidates boycott, open to playing at Chess Olympiad

Published by Webster

5 min readMumbaiUpdated: May 12, 2026 10:40 PM IST The Indian contingent that will head to Samarkand in September to defend its twin Chess Olympiad gold medals could be even stronger than it was at the last edition two years ago as veteran Koneru Humpy is open to playing at the prestigious event. Humpy was one of the notable absentees at the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest where the open team and women’s team claimed six gold medals between them, including four medals for individual boards. Humpy is the country’s top woman chess player, with her No. 6 spot in the FIDE women’s ratings list for May 2026 making her the only Indian in the top 10 in the open section or the women’s event. The women’s team at the 2024 Olympiad consisted of Harika Dronavalli, R. Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal and Tania Sachdev. While confirming her intent to represent India, the 39-year-old said she was awaiting the All India Chess Federation’s selection criteria for the team. “There’s a lot of time for the Olympiad, …

FIDE World Cup: Arjun Erigaisi reiterates the class he showed at Chess Olympiad with blistering win to start third round | Chess News

FIDE World Cup: Arjun Erigaisi reiterates the class he showed at Chess Olympiad with blistering win to start third round | Chess News

Published by Webster

It was during the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest that the Indian men’s team attracted a lot of eyeballs, not particularly for the immense firepower that the team possessed, but also for the board order in which the team would play. The top three names for India were R. Praggnanandhaa, D. Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, with each having the calibre to take the top board. Arjun was the highest-ranked Indian at that time and, naturally, an ideal fit to take the top board against the world’s best. Cut to the end of the event, India had won their historic maiden gold medal, and Arjun also won an individual gold medal for the best performance on his board. It wasn’t the top board, nor was it board No. 2. Arjun played on the third board behind Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa and ran through the opposition like a blitzkrieg. Not that Arjun playing on Board No. 3 was a demotion, but the highest-ranked Indian not taking the top board was somewhat not mainstream. The rationale behind this move …

Vantika Agrawal eyes GM title with Olympiad gold, Arjuna award in her kitty

Vantika Agrawal eyes GM title with Olympiad gold, Arjuna award in her kitty

Published by Webster

Vantika Agrawal is one of the fastest rising stars in Indian chess. She enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2024, winning two gold medals at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. On Friday, the International Master was honoured with the Arjuna Award in recognition of her outstanding achievements in Chess. “I feel on top of the world, receiving the Arjuna Award from the president,” said an extremely delighted Vantika, in a conversation with The Bridge. “I think that’s a dream come true for me. It means a lot to me. “Playing for your nation, winning medals, and when the government recognizes your efforts, you feel even more motivated to work harder and win many more medals for India in the upcoming years,” she added. ‘Started winning and never looked back’ There is a distinct style in which Vantika has gone about her chess career. Having started at the young age of seven, she was fasnicated with the idea of pieces moving on 64 square and soon made it her own. “The very first tournament I played, I …

Chess Olympiad winner Tania Sachdev felicitated by Delhi govt

Chess Olympiad winner Tania Sachdev felicitated by Delhi govt

Published by Webster

Days after she expressed her displeasure on the lack of recognition by her state government, the 2024 Chess Olympiad gold medallist Tania Sachdev was felicitated by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Saturday. “Today, the Delhi Government felicitated Tania Sachdev, a proud Delhiite and a key member of the Indian team that clinched Gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad 2024,” the Chief Minister posted on X, formerly Twitter. “When we embark on a journey in any field, we look for role models. For Delhi’s young champions, Tania is that inspiration. Today’s felicitation isn’t just about honoring her – it’s about motivating students, especially young girls, to follow in her footsteps and aim for gold,” the Aam Aadmi Party leader added. Today, the Delhi Government felicitated @TaniaSachdev, a proud Delhiite and a key member of the Indian team that clinched Gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad 2024. She also played chess with some of our young and upcoming chess champions from Delhi Govt schools! When we embark on a… pic.twitter.com/IZsxsi0cmh — Atishi (@AtishiAAP) January 4, 2025 Tania …

CM Atishi reacts to Olympiad gold-winning chess player Tania Sachdev’s ‘lack of recognition’ comments | Chess News

CM Atishi reacts to Olympiad gold-winning chess player Tania Sachdev’s ‘lack of recognition’ comments | Chess News

Published by Webster

On Monday Olympiad gold-winning and Arjuna awardee chess player Tania Sachdev slammed the government of Delhi for the “lack of recognition.” “Having played for India since 2008, it’s disheartening to see a lack of recognition from the Delhi government for achievements in chess. States that support and celebrate their champions, directly inspire excellence and motivate talent. Sadly, Delhi has yet to take this step,” she posted on her ‘X’ account. “In 2022 Chess Olympiad I came back with a historic team bronze and an individual medal. Two years later 2024, the historic Chess Olympic gold, and till date there has been no acknowledgment or recognition by the state govt,” she added. Tania in her Tweet tagged Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal. Atishi replying to Tania said, “Hi Tania, we have always supported all our athletes, sportsmen and sportswomen, especially in our schools. Would love to meet you and understand what more can be done especially for chess players.” “My office will reach out to you and I am really …

Viswanathan Anand’s prediction on Gukesh facing Arjun Erigaisi in next World Chess Championship | Chess News

Viswanathan Anand’s prediction on Gukesh facing Arjun Erigaisi in next World Chess Championship | Chess News

Published by Webster

After Gukesh’s historical World Chess Championship win in Singapore, there has been plenty of chatter about who will take on the 18-year-old in the 2026 World Championship, with Arjun Erigaisi being one of the names being touted. Arjun Erigaisi has been in red-hot form over the past year and has made a home in the top 5 rankings . So it was no surprise that this question came up when Viswanathan Anand hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit on Friday. “There is a 5-10% chance of it to happen,” answered India’s first grandmaster. A popular narrative in chess — fanned by former world champion Garry Kasparov and world no 3 Hikaru Nakamura — is that the current generation of Indian prodigies like Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi are “Vishy’s children” or “Vishy’s army”. When asked about this in the AMA, Viswanathan Anand said: “They are following their dreams! yes, they are playing players I played several players and still occasionally, but come on, too creative an interpretation.” The fans want to see Viswanathan …

Indian Chess In 2024: D Gukesh Caps Off Watershed Year With World Championship Title After Olympiad Triumph

Indian Chess In 2024: D Gukesh Caps Off Watershed Year With World Championship Title After Olympiad Triumph

Published by Webster

Indian chess has been on the upward trajectory for the past two years or so, but no one can deny that 2024 has been a year where the sport took a quantum leap. The year kicked-off with Candidates tournament in Toronto, Canada where five Indians made the cut in the open field despite the tricky qualification demands of the competition. Only eight qualify for the Candidates. While D Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi made the cut in the eight-man line-up, Koneru Humpy and Vaishali Rameshbabu were part of the eight-women category. In the men’s category, Gukesh earned his shot at challenging Ding Liren for the world title, overcoming several challenges despite the presence of veterans like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura. He became the youngest-ever to win a shot at the world title. However, this was just the start of what turned out to be an unprecedented year for Indian chess. With over 180 nations participating in the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, the Indian contingent won open team golds in both …