At the Chennai Olympiad, the Indian team began as second seeds, even with former World Champion Vishy Anand absent from the lineup. But it is the host country’s privilege to field more than one team, and India used its second team to showcase the next generation of talent. This team, which included three 16-year-olds,
even won bronze, narrowly ahead of the first team. The gold medals went to another team of exceptionally talented youngsters from Uzbekistan, while Armenia took silver.
Dommaraju Gukesh, who was born in Chennai, produced an astonishing performance on board 1 for the second team. He began with eight consecutive victories, including a victory over former World Championship challenger Fabiano Caruana. His outstanding debut invites comparison with Vladimir Kramnik’s 8.5/9 result at the Manila Olympiad in 1992, where he was also just 16 years old.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in