PM Modi hosts India's Chess Olympiad winners, enjoys Praggnanandhaa vs Arjun special match

On Wednesday (Sep 25), Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed India's Chess Olympiad champions on their triumphant return at his residence in New Delhi.

The gathering included players from both men's and women's teams, including Divya Deshmukh, Tania Sachdev, D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa.

PM Modi met the chess stars and even enjoyed a special friendly match between Erigaisi and Praggnanandhaa.

The event came after India's remarkable show at the 45th Chess Olympiad, held in Budapest, where both the men's and women's teams secured gold medals on Sep 22.

Thus, PM Modi interacted with all the players and showered them with words of praise and encouragement.

Talking about India's run at the Chess Olympiad, D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R. Praggnanadhaa won their respective matches in the 11th and final round whereas more glory came India's way with the women's team featuring Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, Tania Sachdev and Abhijit Kunte also secured gold (with Kazakhstan and USA ending second and third, respectively).

In the men's category, Uzbekistan and USA returned with silver and bronze, respectively.

The double victory marked India's significant rise in chess.

PM Modi closely followed India's proceedings at the Chess Olympiad.

Soon after the historic result, he took to his official X handle, formerly Twitter, and wrote, "Historic win for India as our chess contingent wins the 45th #FIDE Chess Olympiad!

India has won the Gold in both open and women's category at Chess Olympiad! Congratulations to our incredible Men's and Women's Chess Teams.

This remarkable achievement marks a new chapter in India's sports trajectory. May this success inspire generations of chess enthusiasts to excel in the game."