45th Chess Olympiad: Moves that created history

The 45th Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary witnessed one of the brightest moments in the history of Indian sports. For the first time in history, Indian athletes have managed to win gold medals in the open and women's categories. Four Indian athletes have won individual gold medals along with this. The Chess Olympiad is the Olympics of chess, which is not a competitive sport in the Olympics. A total of 193 international teams competed in the open category and 181 countries competed in the women's category. In each category, the teams consisting of the top five players from each country competed. The Indian team won 10 of the 11 rounds to win the title in the Open category. India drew only against Uzbekistan, in the ninth round. While India became the champions with a record score of 21 points, the second-placed United States managed to get only 17 points.

Of the 11 rounds in the women's category, India lost only to Poland in the eighth round. The Indian women's team, who drew 2-2 against the United States, won 19 points. The Olympiad showcased the depth and breadth of the Indian youth. Indian chess, which was confined to the unique talent called Viswanathan Anand, is now rich in masters. Gukesh Dommaraju, who won the individual gold at this Olympiad, is the youngest player to win the Challenger tournament to find the world champion's opponent. Praggnanandhaa, who has conquered Magnus Carlsen several times, is another teenage wonder. Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and Pentala Harikrishna are all at the top of the world rankings. Malayali players SL Narayanan and Nihal Sarin, who could not go to the Olympiad because they did not make it to the top five ranks, have proved their mettle along with them.

It is to be noted that India won the gold in the women's category without the presence of the experienced Koneru Humpy. The Indian girls reached their goal through a fight without giving up, to the surprise of those who did not expect their win in the first phase.

Viswanathan Anand is the one who should be congratulated on this achievement. He did not think of a flood after him. This youthful glitter is the result of Anand taking the lead in fulfilling his duty of taking the posterity to the crown paths through which he passed. It was Anand who gave a hand to Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh.

In chess, which costs huge amounts for training, it was on Anand's backing that many young players got sponsorships. The Tamil Nadu government's stance of supporting chess is attracting players to grow in Chennai. There are many chess talents in Kerala as well. May India's achievement in the Chess Olympiad inspire them as well. The future of the players in Kerala should not be tarnished in the association plays that are divided in the name of power struggle. The government should take a sympathetic stand to provide facilities to play chess in schools, libraries and urban centres.