India on Sunday scripted history in the Chess Olympiad as its men's and women's teams clinched their maiden titles in a rare clean sweep of gold medals
Indian men's and women's teams (Pic: X)
A heartwarming moment captured the spotlight at the 45th International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad in Budapest, where India achieved a historic double gold in the team events.
ADVERTISEMENT
The unforgettable incident occurred during the post-tournament photo session and has since gone viral on social media.
Also Read: ‘Rest put me to the test’
In the now-famous video, members of the Pakistani chess team stood proudly alongside the victorious Indian team, holding the Indian flag aloft in celebration instead of their own. “Pakistani Chess Team with the Champions of Chess Olympiad 2024 – Team India!” stated the popular chess platform ChessBase India when sharing the video on X (formerly Twitter).
Pakistani Chess Team with the Champions of Chess Olympiad 2024 - Team India!#chess #chessbaseindia #ChessOlympiad2024 #india pic.twitter.com/LHEveDvEOt
— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) September 26, 2024
India on Sunday scripted history in the Chess Olympiad as its men's and women's teams clinched their maiden titles in a rare clean sweep of gold medals after beating their respective opponents in the final round in Budapest.
The Indian men's team defeated Slovenia 3.5-0.5 while their women counterparts also crushed Azerbaijan with an identical margin in the 11th and final round in the 45th edition of the Chess Olympiad that concluded in Budapest.
Also Read: Vishy: India has hit high-water mark
Only China and erstwhile Soviet Union had won both men's and women's gold medals in the same edition of the Chess Olympiad.
Indian men had earlier won two bronze medals -- in 2014 and 2022 -- in the tournament, while the women had bagged a bronze in the 2022 edition held in Chennai.
Chess legend Viswanathan Anand, who has won five World Championships titles, was present at the arena to watch the next generation of Indian players ruling over the world.
Apart from the two gold medals, the Indian players won for more yellow metals for best individual performances on their respective boards.
Gukesh and Erigaise won gold medals on the first and third board in the open section while Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal won gold for their best performances on board three and four respectively in the women's section.
(With agency inputs)