Samarkand Chess Olympiad preview | India has the ability to repeat Budapest heroics
The 46th Chess Olympiad is set to begin in Samarkand, with India positioned as a strong favorite in both the open and women's categories. The article previews India's team, highlighting key players like R. Praggnanandhaa and D. Gukesh, and identifies rivals such as Uzbekistan and the United States.
Why it matters
This is a major international sporting event, significant for the global chess community and particularly for India, given its recent successes and strong contingent. It highlights national pride and the performance of top athletes.
Time flies. It has been two years since those beautiful images from Budapest caught India’s imagination — the country’s young chess players, men and women, posing for photographs after their twin success at the Chess Olympiad. It was one of the country’s greatest days in its sporting history.
Chess Olympiad is an event as huge and competitive as the name suggests. It is even huger this time.
The 46th edition of the biggest team event in chess — it is like tennis’ Davis Cup or badminton’s Thomas Cup — starts in Samarkand on Wednesday.
In the fray are 208 in the open section and 191 in the women’s.
India is certainly among the favourites in both categories, despite some changes in the squads and the big dip in form of one of the key players.
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