New Delhi: India and Russia on Sunday (August 30, 2020) became the co-champions of the first FIDE Online Chess Olympiad after play was halted due to an internet outage, the International Federation of Chess (FIDE).
FIDE in an official statement said that the Online Chess Olympiad was affected by a global internet outage, which severely affected several countries, including India, adding that two of the Indian players were affected and lost connection when the outcome of the match was still unclear.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said: “The Appeals Committee has examined all the evidence provided by Chess.com, as well as the information gathered from other sources about this Internet outage. Having been informed of its considerations and in the absence of a unanimous decision, and taken With these unprecedented circumstances in mind, as President of FIDE I made the decision to award gold medals to both teams. “
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich made the decision to award FIDE Online gold medals # Chess Olympiad to both teams: India and Russia. More details and an official statement to follow.
– International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) August 30, 2020
Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand, who also played in the online Olympiad, congratulated the Russian team.
We are the Champions !! Congratulations Russia!
– Viswanathan Anand (@ vishy64theking) August 30, 2020
Indian Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also expressed their wishes.
I congratulate our Indian contingent who won gold in the @FIDE_adjustment Online chess Olympiad. India was declared a joint winner with Russia. My sincere wishes to all players!
– Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 30, 2020
Congratulations India and Congratulations Russia #Chess # Indian Chess https://t.co/Fq6qRwv2ml
– Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) August 30, 2020
At the beginning of the final match, Indian players Nihal Sarin and Divya Deshmukh lost their Internet connection and wasted time.
The Russian team entered the final after beating the United States on August 29. They won the first round by a slim margin and then tied in the second match to reserve their spot in the final.
On the other hand, India defeated Poland to become the first finalist of the Online Chess Olympiad. India had to come back after losing 4-2 in the first round. In particular, prior to this victory, India’s best result in a Chess Olympiad was third place in Tromsø in 2014.
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