HISTORY, HERSTORY: OPEN & WOMEN'S TEAMS ON TOP

Super Sunday: India script history as both teams clinch maiden titles ina rare sweep of gold medals at chess’s biggest stage in Budapest

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

THE promised land is here. The future is now. India may have invented chess but they never played like they owned the board as the rest of the world surged ahead.

Not anymore. These days, India are the game’s top dogs. A bunch of teenagers have fulfilled the prophecy way before their time. Now, they have started winning titles. Like they did on Sunday. India’s Open and women’s teams made history as they claimed double gold for the first time at the Olympiad, one of the biggest honours available in the board game currently.

If Viswanathan Anand winning the first world title was Indian chess’ moon landing event, September 22, 2024, will go down as the day when they formally established a colony.

In almost 100 years of the Olympiad, the biggest team competition in the game, both Indian sides were never in contention for the major medal. Over the last two weeks in Budapest, that changed. Both teams used the 64 light and dark coloured squares as a blank canvas to bring to life a crazy dream. On Sunday, that fever dream was realised.

Just before the Olympiad began, Srinath Narayanan, the captain of the Open team, believed the team would start as favourites for gold. Even though they were seeded second in terms of ratings, he was fairly confident that they would all come back with the shiniest of metal discs hanging from their necks. “I think we have a good chance of winning gold,” he had said.