Savitha Shri wins reserve-board gold as India take women's bronze at 24th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand

Savitha Shri, 19, won the individual gold medal on the reserve board and helped the Indian women's team secure bronze at the 24th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in October 2026. She finished the event unbeaten with eight wins and two draws across ten games.

A Chennai woman grandmaster, Savitha began playing chess at age four after watching her brother and claimed the under-12 World Cadets title in 2018 and a bronze in the World Rapid championship in 2022. Despite those accomplishments she largely flew under the radar until the Olympiad; the individual gold and the team bronze are described in the source as probably her biggest prizes to date. She received a place in the Indian squad after D. Harika opted out and this was her first Olympiad.

Her father, Krishnan Baskar, who had worked as an electrical technician in Singapore and later gave up that job to support her career, recounted early financial strain and sacrifices. "I got a chessboard for ₹500 and thought it was all that I needed to spend," he said, adding that tournament costs proved higher than he anticipated. The family at one point pledged gold jewellery to fund her travel and Baskar said he had asked his son Mugesh to give up chess so the family could support Savitha; Mugesh "has now completed his degree and begun working." Baskar described his daughter as grown-up and called for more financial backing: "Unmaiya sollanum na, neraya support thevai (honestly speaking, more is needed)."

Savitha credited her teammates and described the team environment as calming during her maiden Olympiad. "I didn’t feel it. I was part of a very supportive team... my teammates were awesome. They just told me to play my game," she said, and added that when she reached four wins from four games she "thought I should keep pushing. As long as I score, it is better for the team." Her hard-fought draws in two matches are noted as having preserved the team's position in the medal hunt, and she said she "regret[s] not being able to win in the final round." She was rested for the match against Poland, a decision she accepted: "Vantika [Agrawal] had won all three matches and was also in good form. Poland is not really that strong compared to the other teams we played. It’s unfortunate that we lost. Again, I don’t think I have to blame anyone. It was the captain’s (Swayams Mishra) decision. I completely agree with it."

Savitha credited her early coach and her current trainer for her development. She called the late K. Thirukkalathy "special" and said he "taught me how to move the pieces," while describing GM R.B. Ramesh as offering game analysis and psychological support: "Ramesh sir helps by analysing games and offers psychological support. We work a lot on the middle and end-game." The article notes Ramesh also works with R. Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali.

Team captain and grandmaster Swayams Mishra praised Savitha's start and her ability to win critical games under pressure. "We expected her to do well but this one was a pleasant surprise, not just for me but for herself as well. She kept on winning, especially in many clutch games where we needed her to," he said, adding: "I think we need more players like her who are always fighting for the team." On her in-game attributes he added: "Her confidence is very high... When going into the fourth hour, players get tired. That is where I think she was able to be very precise and accurate in most of her games. The moment others get tired, she has the highest energy."

Savitha arrived back in Chennai with teammates including R. Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali and was greeted at Chennai International Airport by her family, with her grandmother among those visibly pleased. The piece records that Savitha had previously gained crucial Elo points before the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2022, and that she has now earned important points with her performance in Samarkand; the article describes her as "Chennai’s new superstar in chess" and says she "will look to emerge as the next big thing in the Indian sporting firmament."

Her unbeaten eight-win, two-draw performance secured a reserve-board gold and contributed directly to India finishing on the podium in Samarkand, while also earning her important Elo points that the article says should help improve her ranking.