Thinley Namgay

Although the eight national chess players who represented Bhutan at the 45th Chess Olympiad, held in Budapest, Hungary, from September 10 to 23, did not secure a medal, they demonstrated improved performances.

Following the competition, Bhutan’s chess ranking improved, showcasing a better performance overall.

The open team started the tournament ranked 171st out of more than 190 countries. However, they finished the competition at 141st, a remarkable 30-rank improvement.

Before the competition, the women’s team was ranked 164th and concluded the Olympiad ranked 147th, a 17-rank jump.

The open team, comprising Bhakta Bahadur Monger, Mahendra Gurung, Suk Raj Monger, and Lhundrup M. Dorji, acquired 18.5 points out of 44 games in 11 rounds. They won 18 games and drew one. Suk Raj Monger and Lhundrup M. Dorji contributed 6.5 points each.

In the last Olympiad held in India in 2022, the Bhutan team started at 183rd rank and finished at 172nd.

The women’s team, featuring Asha Huang Limboo, Namgay Dolma, Yeshey Lhaden, and Pema Yangsel Dorji, managed 13.5 points from 44 games in 11 rounds. They won 13 matches and drew one.

Asha Huang Limboo contributed five points, followed by Pema Yangsel Dorji with four points.

Players and officials attributed their improved performances to the efforts of their coach, Atanu Lahiri from India, who trained the team for nine months.

Thinley Palden Dorji, the interim president of the Bhutan Chess Federation said: “We did very well in the 45th Olympiad given the severe shortage of resources. We did not even have reserve players, and none of our players had the chance to rest. They had to play every game for 11 rounds, which is very difficult at this level, playing 3 to 5 hours per day without a break.”

Thinley Palden Dorji further noted that the players prepared for at least four to six hours daily for the next game, in addition to the three to five hours spent playing matches, which was exhausting.

“We hope to achieve such a result in the 2026 Olympiad as per our Vision 2030 document,” he said.

Suk Raj Monger viewed Bhutan’s performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad as the best compared to the past two editions in 2014 and 2022.

“I am glad that I was able to defeat a 2064-rated player, being the first person from Bhutan to defeat such a high-rated opponent,” he said.

He added that Hungary was a beautiful place, and all had a lot of fun together and enjoyed playing every match.

“I am also happy that I was able to gain my first Candidate Master norm (CM norm), which will help me earn a master-level title if I gain more points from other chess tournaments.”