Chess Olympiad 2024: Sibling Duo Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali Power India to Strong Start*

In a commanding performance at the Chess Olympiad, the Indian chess team announced their gold medal ambitions with a decisive 4-0 victory over Morocco in the first round. The Indian women’s team also secured a convincing 3.5-0.5 win against Jamaica, with Vaishali shining on the top board in the absence of Harika Dronavalli. Vaishali won her match, while Tania Sachdev and Divya Deshmukh also secured wins, and Vantika Agarwal drew her game against Raehanna Brown.

With 18-year-old world championship contender Gukesh resting the first round, Praggnanandhaa stepped up to play on the top board for India. He faced Moroccan International Master Mohamed Tissir, who, at 47 years old, was more than twice Praggnanandhaa’s age. Despite Tissir’s experience and a rating of 2355, Praggnanandhaa quickly gained the upper hand, putting Tissir under severe pressure from the 18th move. By the 26th move, Tissir, already down on time, eventually lost due to time forfeiture.

Following Praggnanandhaa’s lead, the rest of the Indian team also delivered strong performances: Arjun Erigaisi defeated Elbilia Jacques, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi overcame Ouakhir Mehdi Pierre, and Harikrishna Pentala won against Moayad Anas, ensuring a perfect start for India. The Indian team is currently seeded second in the open section, behind Team USA, who also had a strong start with a 3.5-0.5 win against Panama, though Wesley So was held to a draw. Top players like Ding Liren (China) and Magnus Carlsen (Norway) also chose to rest during the first round.