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India's Online Camp Prepares Chess Team for Olympiad
India’s best chess players are getting ready for a major team competition.
The event is the Chess Olympiad, held this time in Samarkand.
India won the men’s gold medal at the previous Olympiad in Budapest.
The players were busy with other tournaments and preparations, so their captain organized a five-day training camp online.
D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and Nihal Sarin are part of the strong Indian team.
Uzbekistan and several other countries also have very powerful players.
Some recent results have made people wonder whether India’s men’s team is losing momentum.
Viswanathan Anand and Srinath Narayanan remain positive about India’s chances.
The team’s final board order will be announced later.
India begins its title defense at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand on Wednesday.
The Indian men’s team is seeded second and faces strong challengers including Uzbekistan, the United States, China and Turkey.
Captain Srinath Narayanan organized a five-day online camp because the players had demanding individual schedules.
India’s lineup includes D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and Nihal Sarin.
Srinath has not announced the board order, including whether Gukesh will remain on the top board.
- Who
- India’s men’s chess team, led by non-playing captain Srinath Narayanan, will compete alongside strong teams including Uzbekistan, the United States and China.
- What
- India will defend its men’s gold medal at the 46th Chess Olympiad.
- Where
- The Olympiad is being held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
- When
- The competition begins on Wednesday; the team also held a five-day online preparatory camp beforehand.
- Why
- The online camp was organized to prepare the players despite their demanding tournament and training schedules.
Concerns About India’s Momentum
Confidence in India’s Chances
Recent form
Concerns About India’s Momentum
Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin have not won a major event recently, prompting questions about whether Indian men’s chess is declining.
Confidence in India’s Chances
Viswanathan Anand said recent results should not be viewed too narrowly and noted that India still has three players performing very well.
Olympiad challenge
Concerns About India’s Momentum
India faces stronger opposition than before, especially Uzbekistan, whose leading players include Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Confidence in India’s Chances
Anand said India can still win in Samarkand, while Srinath said the team’s spirit is as strong as it was before the Budapest victory.
Top-board decision
Concerns About India’s Momentum
Gukesh’s current form raises questions about whether he should face every opposing team’s top player on board one.
Confidence in India’s Chances
Srinath said the team has considered the players’ form, schedules and preferences and will retain flexibility before announcing the order.
Key facts
- Event
- 46th Chess Olympiad
- Host city
- Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- India’s status
- Men’s defending gold medalist and second seed
- Preparatory camp
- Five days, conducted online
- Indian players named
- D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and Nihal Sarin
- Previous triumph
- India won historic gold in Budapest in 2024
- Board order
- Not yet announced by captain Srinath Narayanan
Quotes
Srinath Narayanan
Coach and non-playing captain of India’s men’s chess team
“All these things bode very positively for the team. And the team is also having a lot of fun with each other, even outside of chess, informally. Which is again a very positive thing. So, in terms of team spirit, we are right where we left in Budapest.”
indianexpress.com
“The camp was great. Getting those five players together in today’s intensely busy schedule was quite an achievement. But we managed to achieve it by having it online.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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