Viswanathan Anand Presents India With Third Straight Gaprindashvili Trophy
Viswanathan Anand Presents India With Gaprindashvili Trophy
Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand presented India with the prestigious Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy at the closing ceremony of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The honour recognised India as the federation with the best combined performance across the Open and Women’s sections. It was India’s third consecutive Gaprindashvili Trophy, following victories in Chennai in 2022 and Budapest in 2024.
The presentation added another memorable chapter to Indian chess, with Anand handing over the trophy after the country produced two strong team performances. India finished second in the Open section with 18 match points and third in the Women’s section with 18 points, enough to top the combined classification.
India’s Open Team Wins Silver in Samarkand
India’s Open team finished the Olympiad with 18 match points, level with Germany, but secured the silver medal through the head-to-head tiebreak. The hosts Uzbekistan won gold with 20 points, while Germany took bronze.
In the final round, India drew 2-2 with Hungary. R Praggnanandhaa drew Richard Rapport, while Arjun Erigaisi defeated Peter Leko. Nihal Sarin drew Benjamin Gledura, while D Gukesh lost to Gleb Dudin. The result left India tied with Germany on match points, but the Indian team’s better tiebreak position secured second place.
The individual performances also produced medals. Gukesh won silver, while Praggnanandhaa claimed bronze for their board performances.
India’s Women’s Team Takes Bronze
India’s women also finished on the podium after drawing 2-2 with Georgia in the final round. Koneru Humpy defeated Nana Dzagnidze, while Divya Deshmukh lost to Bella Khotenashvili. Vantika Agrawal drew with Lela Javakhishvili, and B Savitha Shri held Meri Arabidze to complete the 2-2 result.
China won the women’s gold after defeating Vietnam 3-1, while Kazakhstan took silver. India’s bronze nevertheless proved crucial to its overall combined result. Savitha Shri was particularly impressive, scoring nine points from 10 games during the Olympiad.
The Indian women also collected several individual board medals. Savitha Shri won gold, Divya Deshmukh silver, while Vantika Agrawal and Koneru Humpy took bronze.
Viswanathan Anand Adds Another Historic Moment
The Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy, created by FIDE in 1997 and named after legendary Georgian chess player Nona Gaprindashvili, is awarded for the best combined Open and Women’s performance. FIDE regulations determine the combined winner from the two section standings.
India’s latest success means the country has now won the trophy at three successive Olympiads. Anand’s role in presenting it made the moment particularly significant for Indian chess, linking one of the country’s greatest champions with a new generation led by players such as Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Divya Deshmukh and Savitha Shri.
The 2026 Olympiad may not have brought India gold in either main section, but the combined trophy confirmed the country’s strength across both sides of the competition.
