Which Asian Games edition marked the first introduction of Chess as a medal sport?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is 2006 Doha.
Explanation:
☛ Chess made its debut as an official medal sport at the 15th Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar in 2006.
☛ Three events were contested in the 2006 edition: Men's Individual Rapid, Women's Individual Rapid, and Mixed Team Standard.
☛ India dominated the chess competition at the 2006 Doha Games by winning two gold medals out of three.
☛ Grandmaster Koneru Humpy won the gold medal in the Women's Individual Rapid event, and the Indian team (featuring Koneru Humpy, Krishnan Sasikiran, and Pentala Harikrishna) won the Mixed Team gold.
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ 2010 Guangzhou: Chess was retained for the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, where four gold medals were contested.
☛ Exclusion and Return: Chess was excluded from the 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, before making a comeback at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou (2022/2023).
☛ 1998 Bangkok: The 13th Asian Games were held here, introducing sports like squash and rugby sevens, but chess was not part of it.
☛ 2002 Busan: The 14th Asian Games were hosted by Busan, South Korea, where cue sports and body building were prominent, but chess was absent.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Where were the first-ever Asian Games held in 1951? → New Delhi, India
☛ Which organisation regulates the Asian Games? → Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)
☛ Who was the first Indian to become a Grandmaster in chess? → Viswanathan Anand (1988)
☛ Where is the headquarters of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) located? → Lausanne, Switzerland
☛ Which city will host the 20th Asian Games in 2026? → Aichi-Nagoya, Japan