Archive · 15 Sep 2026
India’s Women’s Chess Team Enters Olympiad Stronger, Coach Says
India’s women’s chess team is preparing to defend its gold medal at the upcoming Chess Olympiad.
Coach Swayams Mishra says Divya Deshmukh and Vaishali Rameshbabu have improved since India last won.
The five players could not easily meet because they were playing tournaments in different countries.
Their coaches therefore organized a five-day online camp.
They discussed the order in which players might compete on the boards.
They also played chess-themed games to keep the camp relaxed.
Mishra says the team does not assign some players to draw and others to attack.
Instead, opening choices depend on the opponent and each player’s style.
He expects several countries to provide a serious challenge.
Coach Swayams Mishra says Divya Deshmukh and Vaishali Rameshbabu are stronger than when India won the previous Olympiad.
India held a five-day online training camp after finding it difficult to assemble all five players in one place.
Koneru Humpy, Deshmukh and Vaishali were considered for the team’s first board, with board-order decisions made during the camp.
Mishra says India’s main challenges will come from Georgia, Kazakhstan, the United States, Poland and Azerbaijan.
The coach says players now have stronger preparation systems, including their own coaches and seconds, than they did in 2022.
- Who
- India’s women’s chess team, coached by Swayams Mishra with support from Arjun Kalyan and Diptayan Ghosh.
- What
- The team is preparing to defend its gold medal at the upcoming Chess Olympiad.
- When
- Ahead of the upcoming Chess Olympiad; the articles do not specify its date.
- Where
- The team’s preparation included a five-day online camp, with players joining from different parts of the world.
- Why
- India wants to defend its gold medal, while the coaching staff aims to prepare the players for strong international opponents.
Coach’s Team Assessment
Perceptions Mishra Disputes
Match strategy
Coach’s Team Assessment
Mishra says the players are not instructed to seek specific results, such as draws; opening choices are based on the opponent, preparation and playing style.
Perceptions Mishra Disputes
A perception exists that some players are told to make draws while others are given freedom to pursue wins, but Mishra rejects that characterization.
Gold-medal pressure
Coach’s Team Assessment
Mishra says winning gold is clearly the team’s target, but the players did not repeatedly discuss defending the title because he does not think that would help them personally.
Perceptions Mishra Disputes
The expectation of defending gold could suggest a need to focus explicitly on the medal, but the team avoided making it a central discussion during camp.
- Team objective
- Defend India’s gold medal at the upcoming Chess Olympiad.
- Training camp
- A five-day online camp was held with all five players joining remotely.
- Potential board-one players
- Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh and Vaishali Rameshbabu.
- Coaching staff
- Swayams Mishra, Arjun Kalyan and Diptayan Ghosh.
- Major challengers
- Georgia, Kazakhstan, the United States, Poland and Azerbaijan.
- Preparation changes
- Players now generally have their own coaches and seconds to assist with preparation.
- Previous preparation
- In 2022, Deshmukh and Vaishali were younger and were not yet playing top-tier invitational events, according to Mishra.