Asian Games 2023: India wins silver in men, women's chess team events

The chess teams won the final two medals for the nation.

On the final day of the Asian Games 2023, the Indian contingent received an additional stroke of luck as the men’s and women’s chess teams secured silver medals in the team events.

The Indian women’s team delivered an impressive performance, overwhelming South Korea with a resounding 4.0-0.0 victory, leaving their opponents without a single point. With a lineup featuring two International Masters, one Woman Grandmaster, and one Grandmaster, South Korea faced a formidable challenge.

Despite having a Women Fide Master in their ranks, the South Korean team struggled to mount a successful challenge against the determined Indian squad.

The Indian women's team, composed of Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Vantika Agrawal, and Savitha Shri Baskar, had reached the final with a similarly dominant performance in Round 8, defeating Hong Kong with a score of 4.0-0.0 in India's favor.

India's men’s team, consisting of four Grandmasters, secured victory in their Round 9 match against the Philippines with a score of 3.5-0.5. On paper, this match could have swung in either team's favor, as both the Philippines and India had equally skilled players in their lineups.

While Paulo Bersamina managed to secure a tie against Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, none of the other members of the Philippines team could challenge the Indian side effectively.

Gukesh Dommanraju, Arjun Erijaisi, and Hari Krishna Pentala ensured victory for Team India, clinching the silver medal. The Indian men’s team had also defeated South Korea with a similar scoreline in their Round 8 encounter.

In the women’s team event, China claimed the gold medal with a decisive 4.0-0.0 victory over the United Arab Emirates, while Iran secured the gold in the men’s event, comfortably defeating South Korea with the same scoreline of 4.0-0.0.