Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated India’s chess teams after their medal-winning performances at the 2026 FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, praising their ‘passion and determination’ following silver in the Open section and bronze in the Women’s event.
“Congratulations to our Chess players! Their passion and determination are exemplary. May these successes motivate several more youngsters to play chess and excel,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
Congratulations to our Chess players! Their passion and determination are exemplary.
May these successes motivate several more youngsters to play chess and excel. https://t.co/u1OyYs6LAj
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 28, 2026
India secured silver in the Open section after drawing 2-2 with Hungary in the final round. Arjun Erigaisi defeated Peter Leko with Black, while Gleb Dudin beat World Champion Gukesh D on the fourth board. Uzbekistan won the Open title after defeating Ukraine 2.5-1.5, while Germany took bronze.
In the Women’s section, India claimed bronze on a tiebreak after drawing 2-2 with Georgia.
China won gold with a 3-1 victory over Vietnam, while Kazakhstan secured silver following a 2-2 draw with Poland.
India’s combined performance also saw it retain the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy, awarded to the federation with the best overall results across the Open and Women’s sections. FIDE’s regulations define the trophy as the award for the best combined federation performance.
The achievement marked India’s third consecutive win of the trophy, following its success at the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai and the 2024 edition in Budapest. Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand presented the trophy to India during the closing ceremony in Samarkand.
The 2026 Olympiad featured 11 rounds in both the Open and Women’s sections, with the competition concluding on September 27. The event brought together teams from around the world in Samarkand.
India’s double podium finish and continued hold of the Gaprindashvili Trophy underline the country’s strong showing across both sections of the 2026 Chess Olympiad.
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