Vidit Gujrathi: India’s Olympiad Silver Was No Underachievement

Vidit Gujrathi believes India’s silver medal in the open section at the 2026 Chess Olympiad should not be viewed as an underachievement, despite the team arriving as defending champions. India finished second behind host nation Uzbekistan in Samarkand, while the Indian women’s team claimed bronze.

Gujrathi, who served as India’s reserve-board player, said the squad had naturally hoped to retain the title it won in Budapest in 2024. But he stressed that the campaign was demanding from start to finish, and that Uzbekistan deserved the gold after playing better across the event.

“I don’t think it’s an underachievement in that sense at all. Winning silver was not easy,” Gujrathi said. “It was a lot of effort and there were times where we felt like we might not even finish there.”

His assessment combines disappointment at missing gold with pride in India’s recovery. “I’m both sad and happy,” he said. “Sad that of course we missed the gold but the way we played, I think, silver was good and we are very proud of ourselves for that.”

A pivotal Uzbekistan match and India’s response

Gujrathi identified India’s match against Uzbekistan as the major turning point of the Olympiad. India had found a rhythm before a blunder by Nihal Sarin altered the match and, in Gujrathi’s view, influenced the rest of the tournament.

“I think that was the turning point of the tournament in hindsight, because it also dictates how you go through the rest of the tournament,” Gujrathi said. He felt a victory over the hosts would have given India a substantial lift in morale and confidence against the team in the strongest form.

Gujrathi was sympathetic when discussing Sarin’s error, describing it as a moment of “hallucination” that can happen in sport. The more important part of India’s campaign, he said, was the response. With the team at risk of slipping out of medal contention, India recovered to secure second place and remained hopeful of a late change in the gold-medal picture until the final round.

“We were hoping that some miracle happens,” Gujrathi recalled. It did not, but he said silver was close to the best possible outcome after points had been lost, particularly with gold depending on other results.

The team also dealt with illness during the closing stages in Samarkand. Gujrathi said a cold moved through both Indian squads, underlining the physical toll of a competition often judged only by the moves made on the board. He noted that players can spend about six hours preparing before games that last around five hours, with the pressure of every move carrying medal consequences.

According to Gujrathi, no one wanted to miss a round despite not being fully fit. “The intent was so high, they showed a lot of character,” he said. “Even though physically they might not be at their 100%, they were like ‘no, I’ll go and fight.’”

Board-order debate and Gukesh’s contribution

India entered the Olympiad without an in-person training camp because players were competing in other tournaments. Captain Srinath Narayanan instead used online meetings, a solution made easier by the continuity of a team largely unchanged from the 2024 title-winning lineup, with Nihal Sarin replacing Pentala Harikrishna.

Those meetings covered strategy, form and board order. The decision to place reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju on Board 4 attracted public criticism, but Gujrathi said it was a unanimous decision and that Gukesh had raised the preference with him before speaking to the captain.

Praggnanandhaa played Board 1, Arjun Erigaisi was on Board 2, Sarin on Board 3, Gukesh on Board 4 and Gujrathi moved from Board 4 in 2024 to the reserve role. Gujrathi said Narayanan received unfair criticism from observers who did not know the internal discussions.

The arrangement also produced a major return from Gukesh, who scored 8.5 points in 11 games, recorded seven wins and earned an individual silver medal. Gujrathi said he saw Gukesh in a positive mental state in Samarkand, where the world champion arrived intending to enjoy his chess.

For Gujrathi, India’s final position reflects more than the medal table. The record books show silver, but he sees a squad that continued fighting through illness, recovered from a costly setback and finished on the podium in a difficult defence of its Olympiad crown.