Anand Presents Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy to India After Chess Glory
Viswanathan Anand presents the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy to Team India following their historic performance at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.
In a moment of immense pride for Indian chess, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand presented the prestigious Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy to the Indian squad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This historic accolade follows India's dominant performance at the Chess Olympiad, marking a period of unprecedented dominance for the nation on the global stage.
The trophy, which recognizes the best combined performance across both the Open and Women’s sections, belongs to India for the third consecutive time. This follows their previous triumphs at the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai and the 2024 edition in Budapest, where India secured gold medals in both categories.
The Battle for the Open and Women's Sections
The competition in Samarkand was fierce, with India demonstrating remarkable depth across all boards. While the tournament saw intense clashes, India's consistent scoring ensured they remained at the forefront of the standings.
Open Section Highlights
- Gold: Uzbekistan (Hosts) defeated Ukraine 2.5-1.5 in the final round.
- Silver: India secured the silver medal after a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Hungary.
- Bronze: Germany claimed the third spot.
The race for silver was particularly dramatic. India and Germany finished with identical match points (18) and game points (28.5). However, India was awarded the silver medal based on their superior head-to-head result against the German side.
Women's Section Results
- Gold: China clinched the top spot by defeating Vietnam 3-1.
- Silver: Kazakhstan secured the silver medal.
- Bronze: India earned bronze following a 2-2 draw against Georgia in the final round.
In the women's matches, Koneru Humpy delivered a vital victory on the top board, while Savitha Shri played a pivotal role by holding her position to secure a crucial draw against Meri Arabidze.
Individual Brilliance and Medal Tally
Beyond the team success, several Indian players stood out with exceptional individual performances, earning them individual medals for their mastery of the game.
Individual Medalists
Women's Category:
- Savitha Shri: Gold Medal
- Divya Deshmukh: Silver Medal
- Vantika Agrawal: Bronze Medal
- Koneru Humpy: Bronze Medal
Open Category:
- D Gukesh: Silver Medal
- R Praggnanandhaa: Bronze Medal
The Legacy of the Gaprindashvili Trophy
Established by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1997, the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy is named in honor of the legendary Georgian chess player. The award serves as a testament to a nation's overall strength and the depth of its talent pool, requiring excellence in both the men's and women's disciplines to claim.