Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, on Sunday, congratulated the Indian men's and women's teams for their historic gold medal wins at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest.
India made history as both its men's and women's teams clinched their first-ever gold medals at the 45th Chess Olympiad. The men's team defeated Slovenia and the women's counterparts overcame Azerbaijan in the final round.
"Congrats to Team India for winning the last round as well! Sensational @DGukesh and @ArjunErigaisi, but also congrats to @viditchess on an impressive result. Great captaincy by @srinathchess," Anand wrote on 'X'.
"Congrats to India's Women's team. Great result by the whole team and captain @chessgmkunte and a special mention to @DivyaDeshmukh05 and to @vantikachess for her performance."
Leader of the Opposition of Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi took to his official X handle and hailed India's men's team for winning the first-ever Gold Medal in the Open Section at the Chess Olympiad.
"Thrilled to see Team India clinch its first-ever Gold Medal in the Open Section at the Chess Olympiad Huge congratulations to Gukesh Dommaraju, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Pentala Harikrishna, Srinath Narayanan, and their teams. Your remarkable talent, brilliant strategies, and dedication have paid off. Wishing you all continued excellence. Your golden victory has made the country immensely proud. Jai Hind," Rahul Gandhi wrote on X.
Rahul Gandhi also congratulated the women's team and said that he is incredibly proud of the champions.
"Double Gold for India at the Chess Olympiad! Incredibly proud of our champions - Divya Deshmukh, R Vaishali, D Harika, Tania Sachdev, Vantika Agrawal, their Captain Abhijit Kunte and their teams. Heartfelt congratulations to each of you. Your brilliance, teamwork, and dedication have made this remarkable victory possible. You are a shining example of what India's daughters can achieve and a source of inspiration to millions across the country. A truly historic day for India," Rahul Gandhi wrote on X while congratulating the women's team.
The Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge hailed the India's men's team for their "exceptional skill, strategic brilliance, and unwavering dedication" in the final round of Chess Olympiad.
"History made! Congratulations to Team India on securing their first-ever Gold Medal in the Open Section at the Chess Olympiad! Gukesh Dommaraju, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Pentala Harikrishna, and Srinath Narayanan - your exceptional skill, strategic brilliance, and unwavering dedication have earned India its rightful place on the podium. Your golden triumph has filled the nation's heart with pride! May your achievement inspire future generations of Indian chess players," Kharge wrote on X.
The men's team secured victory over Slovenia in the 11th and final round with wins from D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa. Meanwhile, the women's team sealed a 3.5-0.5 win against Azerbaijan, completing a historic double for India.
Indian men had previously won bronze medals in 2014 and 2022, while the women's team claimed bronze in the 2022 edition held in Chennai.