Chess Olympiad 2024: Spotlight on the Indian Teams Heading to Budapest

Hey everyone! Welcome to our latest blog post about the Chess Olympiad 2024. As the tournament approaches, the Indian chess teams are gearing up to compete in Budapest with hopes of clinching medals. Let’s explore what makes this year’s event exciting and take a closer look at the Indian teams.

Topics:
1. Overview of the Chess Olympiad
2. India’s History in the Chess Olympiad
3. The Indian Chess Olympiad Team
4. The Indian Women’s Chess Olympiad Team
5. Conclusion

1. Overview of the Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a premier chess tournament where national teams from around the world compete under the aegis of FIDE. The first unofficial Chess Olympiad took place in Paris in 1924 as an attempt to include chess in the Olympics, but it did not succeed. The first official Olympiad was held in London in 1927 and has been held biennially ever since. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the event continued online, featuring 16 countries in its debut.

2. India’s History in the Chess Olympiad
India has been a participant in the Chess Olympiad for decades, making its debut in the 1956 tournament in Moscow. The Indian team, consisting of Ramdas, B.P. Mhalskar, S. Venkataraman, and R.B. Sapre, marked the country’s entry into this global competition. In recent years, India has achieved notable successes, including winning a gold medal in 2020, a bronze medal in 2021, and the Gaprindashvili Medal for the best overall performance in 2022. The 44th Chess Olympiad in 2022 was held in Chennai, India, for the first time, with Uzbekistan taking gold, Armenia silver, and India bronze.

3. The Indian Chess Olympiad Team
For the 45th Chess Olympiad, the Indian team is heading to Budapest with high expectations. The team features:
- Arjun Erigaisi (21 years old, World No. 4, Rating: 2778)
- Gukesh D (18 years old, World No. 7, Rating: 2764)
- R. Praggnanandhaa (19 years old, World No. 12, Rating: 2750)
- Vidit Gujrathi (29 years old, World No. 24, Rating: 2720)
- P. Harikrishna (38 years old, World No. 41, Rating: 2686)

Despite the absence of chess legend Vishwanathan Anand, this team has the strength and skill to contend for gold.

4. The Indian Women’s Chess Olympiad Team
The Indian women’s team also promises to be a formidable force:
- D. Harika (33 years old, FIDE Rating: 2502)
- Vaishali R (23 years old, FIDE Rating: 2498) – sister of Praggnanandhaa
- Divya Deshmukh (18 years old, FIDE Rating: 2483)
- Vantika Agrawal (22 years old, FIDE Rating: 2435)
- Tania Sachdev (38 years old) – reserve

Although Koneru Humpy is not participating this year, Vaishali’s inclusion adds significant strength to the team.

5. Conclusion
The Chess Olympiad 2024 is set to be an exciting event with top teams from around the world competing for glory. The Indian teams, with their impressive line-ups, are sure to be strong contenders for medals. We look forward to seeing how they perform against the best chess players globally. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this blog and have any suggestions, feel free to comment. 

— TheUnidentifiedWolf