Rajnath Singh hails India's third Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy
Synopsis
India won the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand for the third straight edition, claiming Silver in the Open section and Bronze in the Women's event. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the achievement as a testament to India's growing dominance on the global chess stage.
Key Takeaways
India won the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand for the third consecutive edition .
India's haul comprised a Silver in the Open section and a Bronze in the Women's section , making it the best overall nation.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the contingent on September 27, 2026 .
India hosted the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai in 2022 , a turning point that boosted domestic chess visibility and talent development.
The back-to-back-to-back trophy win reflects sustained investment by the All India Chess Federation and private academies in building a deep grandmaster bench.
Three in a row. At the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, India claimed the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy for the third consecutive edition — cementing its status as the world's best overall chess nation. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Indian contingent on Sunday, September 27, 2026, calling the achievement 'outstanding' and urging India's finest minds to carry the tricolour to greater heights on the world chessboard.
India secured a Silver medal in the Open section and a Bronze medal in the Women's section at Samarkand, giving the country the best combined haul across both categories — the precise metric that determines the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy winner. The trophy is named after Georgian chess legend Nona Gaprindashvili, the pioneering Women's World Champion who defined an era of the game.
Three Olympiads, three trophies — a dynasty takes shape
This is not a fluke. India's third straight Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy traces a deliberate arc: the country hosted the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai in 2022, a watershed moment that poured spotlight and energy into domestic chess. The visibility that followed — packed venues, prime-time coverage, a surge in junior registrations — fed directly into the talent pipeline now delivering medals on foreign soil. The All India Chess Federation and a network of private chess academies have built a bench so deep that India can field competitive teams in both the Open and Women's sections simultaneously, a combination that is notoriously difficult to sustain. The broader pattern mirrors India's wider sports emergence: a country that once leaned almost exclusively on cricket is now assembling podium finishes across disciplines, from wrestling mats to 64 squares of carved wood.What the Samarkand result signals for Indian chess
Winning a third consecutive Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy in Samarkand — the ancient Silk Road city in Uzbekistan — sends a clear message to FIDE's global circuit: India is no longer a rising force but an established one. The Chess Olympiad is a biennial FIDE team championship; back-to-back-to-back overall titles in a field that routinely features powerhouses from Russia, China, the United States, and Europe is a feat that demands sustained excellence, not a single inspired run. For Indian chess, the next question is infrastructure: whether the momentum translates into more FIDE-rated training centres, stronger state-level leagues, and a pipeline that keeps the roster refreshed as today's young grandmasters age into their prime.Point of View
Converting domestic enthusiasm into institutional investment, and Samarkand is the clearest proof that the returns are compounding. For the BJP-led government, congratulatory posts from senior ministers like Rajnath Singh serve a dual purpose: they align the ruling dispensation with a rising national success story while reinforcing the 'Khelo India' broader narrative of India as a multi-sport power. The real test will be whether this momentum prompts concrete policy follow-through — more rated academies, better state league structures — or remains at the level of celebratory optics.
NationPress
28 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy in chess?
The Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy is awarded at the Chess Olympiad to the nation with the best combined performance across both the Open and Women's team sections. It is named after Georgian chess legend Nona Gaprindashvili, a pioneering Women's World Champion.
How many times has India won the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy?
India has won the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy three consecutive times as of the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, making it the best overall nation across three straight editions of the event.
Where was the 2026 Chess Olympiad held?
The 2026 Chess Olympiad was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan — the historic Silk Road city chosen as the host venue for the biennial FIDE team chess championship.
What medals did India win at the 2026 Chess Olympiad?
India won a Silver medal in the Open section and a Bronze medal in the Women's section at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, giving it the best combined haul to clinch the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy.
Why did Rajnath Singh congratulate Indian chess players?
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated India's chess contingent on September 27, 2026, after India won the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand for the third consecutive edition, calling the achievement outstanding.
