India clinch double medal at Chess Olympiad as men win silver, women take bronze

India wrapped up the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand on a high, winning medals in both sections as the men claimed silver and the women secured bronze on Sunday.

The result made India the only country to finish on the podium in both the Open and Women’s events at the 2026 Olympiad.

The Indian men entered the tournament as defending champions after their historic double-gold triumph at the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest. They finished runners-up to hosts Uzbekistan in the Open section.

India went into the final round in second place after a commanding 3.5-0.5 victory over Uzbekistan-2 in Round 10, with D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin securing wins. In the final round, India drew against Hungary, while Uzbekistan faced Ukraine in the battle for gold.

Uzbekistan ultimately clinched the top spot on home soil, while India settled for silver. Arjun Erigaisi played a crucial role in the closing stages, winning his final-round game to help India stay clear of the chasing teams.

The silver medal capped another impressive campaign for a strong Indian line-up featuring world champion D Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun and Nihal. Gukesh was particularly effective in the latter stages, winning his seventh game in Round 10 to take his tally to 8.5 points from 10 games.

INDIA WOMEN FIGHT BACK FOR BRONZE

India’s women endured a tougher title defence but battled back to secure a place on the podium. After a strong start, they suffered their first defeat in Round 5 against Poland, who had also beaten India at the previous two Olympiads.

The team responded strongly and stayed in medal contention. In Round 10, India drew 2-2 with leaders China, with B Savitha Shri once again producing a crucial result. Savitha defeated Zhai Mo for her eighth win of the tournament, taking her tally to 8.5 points from nine games. Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh drew their games, while Vantika Agrawal lost to Lu Miaoyi.

Savitha maintained her unbeaten run in the final round, drawing against Meri Arabidze to finish with nine points from 10 games. Her performance played a key role in India’s bronze-medal finish, while China secured gold.

The twin podium finishes also helped India retain the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy, awarded to the best-performing federation across the Open and Women’s sections. India had previously won the trophy in 2022 and 2024.