Almost two months after the historical achievement, Indian Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli is yet to entirely soak in the euphoria of winning the gold-medal finish at the 2024 Chess Olympiads, where the Indian men’s and women’s teams took the top honour. The two team and four individual gold medals are believed by many to be the start of a new era in Indian chess, and it’s only fitting to have Harika, a 20-year-veteran, and Vidit, one of the most prominent faces of Indian Chess, to be at the centre of this revolution.

Speaking at the 2024 Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, fully aware of the significance of their Olympiad victory, Harika Dronavalli and Vidit Gujrathi are thrilled, knowing that this achievement has firmly placed Indian chess on the global stage. Vidit, a silver medallist at the Asian Games and the third Indian to qualify for the prestigious Candidates Tournament, believes India have now emerged as a formidable force in the world of chess.

“Regarding the Olympiad, there are so many things [to say]. But one thing is that it made sure that people know that India is the best country right now because we won both in men and women and at the same time. That was the cherry on top. In the last few years, many people asked, “There are a lot of players coming up from India. Is India the next big thing?” They kept asking this question again and again, but I think after the Olympiad, we have answered it. India is the next big thing,” said Vidit.

“Personally for me, it’s a moment which fills me with pride. I have had a lot of individual achievements, but nothing matches the joy and the feel of winning an Olympiad gold. I think it’s just unparalleled. So I’m very happy.”

The Olympiad is believed by many to be the holy grail of chess. And for someone like Harika, a veteran of 10 Olympiads, winning it was the ideal dream-come-true moment.

“I mean it took a lot of time to sink in completely. I still remember the moment. It was 22nd and it’s imprinted very clearly. It was such a moment to be on the stage and taking gold medal. And for me, it’s been a long dream. It’s me in my 20th year playing Olympiad. Ten Olympiads. So I have been dreaming about this since I was a kid. There were times when I really wanted to be on that podium, and I never understood why we weren’t there. So, it’s been a long story. And, on 22nd September, everything came true. That’s a moment I wanted to stop. But life goes on. So, yeah, this is one of the most special moments for me as a player for fraternity,” she said.

More Indian men and women are thriving in chess

For the longest time – almost two decades – Harika and Koneru Humpy defined the women’s chess circuit in India. Now, with rising stars like Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Vaishali Rameshbabu, the landscape is evolving. With Vaishali recently becoming India’s third woman Grandmaster, Harika is optimistic that this trend will continue, inspiring even more of the younger generation to pursue chess as a career.

“I haven’t seen this close a gap in many years. I think that’s where I can say that this is one of the best scenes we are having in women’s chess in India It gives a very good impression. Once the competition is stronger, people will work better and become stronger. That’s how it is always. When you have tougher competition, you get stronger. And I’m sure that it’s going to be even better in future. I think girls are being inspired already. They are taking up chess. But I think at the same time, they should have really high ambitions. Not just to become women grandmasters but also to have high goals. I’m sure they can do it if they just keep looking in that direction,” said Harika.

Vidit shared similar sentiments, observing the same momentum in the men’s circuit. With two Indian players, Arjun Erigaisi and Gukesh Dommaraju, now ranked among the world’s top five – and with Gukesh set to compete in the World Championships later this month – Indian chess continues its upward trajectory. Vidit had a challenging start to the year, losing to Ian Nepomniachtchi in 67 moves at the Candidates Tournament, unable to deliver the decisive blow. He admits that the defeat was hard to accept, but over time, he managed to set aside the disappointment and refocus on the Olympiads.

“After the Candidates, I didn’t know what was next because it was one of the biggest tournaments of my life. And I had prepared a lot for it. Six months without any distractions. Just focused on one goal. There were some good moments, but it did not finish as I wanted. So after that, there was a feeling of emptiness. I did not know what I was going to do next. Whether this was the highest the point that I could have reached. So, I was confused. I took some time off for myself and tried to figure out what my ambitions and next goals are. But after two-three months, things settled down,” he said.

“Now I’m again feeling very good. I’ve been playing lots of tournaments. I think this year probably I’ve been home maybe 2 months max in the entire year, which is very less. So I’m always on the road. But I’m excited to play. One thing which has changed is that when I go to a game, there’s a lot of excitement. Earlier, there used to be a lot of anxiety, so I guess I’m just enjoying it more. Maybe it’s also because when you smell victory, you feel nice and it helps you to enjoy it more. I hope it continues.”