Sleepless nights and grit: How Vantika Agrawal propelled India to Chess Olympiad glory

The Indian women’s team encountered some tense moments in Budapest but held firm to clinch the country's maiden gold medal in the final round of the 45th Chess Olympiad.

Vantika Agrawal, 21, playing in her second Olympiad, was a revelation.

She became only the second Indian woman after Divya Deshmukh to go unbeaten in the tournament, winning six of her nine games.

Vantika performed impressively despite missing the preparatory camp in Ahmedabad before the Olympiad.

'I was super confident'

"I could not go to Ahmedabad as I was not feeling well. But I stayed in constant touch with the seconds and the coaches. We discussed the board order and the openings I would use during the tournament, making adjustments as necessary. I was practicing continuously, so I was not too worried. I thought, 'I will give my best, I have to do this,'" Vantika told The Bridge.

Such was Vantika's form that she delivered crucial wins at pivotal moments.

"I was super confident (during the Olympiad). When I am in good form, there is no one who can stop me," she asserted.

Although she had participated in the previous Olympiad held in Chennai in 2022, this was the first time she was playing for the senior women's team. Naturally, Vantika was thrilled to win the historic gold medal for India.

When asked if she had imagined India would dominate the tournament and win the title, she expressed confidence in her team’s strength and satisfaction with her performance.

"I expected it to go this way, and everything went smoothly. Our team of Harika, Vaishali, Divya, Tania, and me was so strong. We knew that as long as we handled the pressure and played our game, we would succeed," Vantika explained.

Reflecting on her personal contribution to the team’s victory, she said, "Until round seven, we won all our matches. Even in the last Olympiad, when I was not in the main team but played board one for India B, I had seven wins out of nine games. I was expecting similar success here."

Led by coach Srinath Narayanan, the Indian women won nine out of their 11 rounds, losing only one match against Poland.

India remained unbeaten for the first seven rounds, including a critical victory over second-seeded Georgia in the seventh round.

Vantika, playing on the fourth board, took down Grandmaster Bella Khotenashvilli with the Black pieces fighting through extreme time pressure.

However, the 1.5-2.5 loss to Poland in the eighth round put India’s campaign at a crossroads.

The team, however, showed tremendous resilience, managing a 2-2 draw against the USA in the ninth round to keep their gold medal hopes alive.

Recalling the atmosphere after the defeat to Poland, Vantika said, "After the loss to Poland, it was crucial to secure a draw against the USA. If we had not, the gold would have slipped away. All the games were important, but I would say the win against Georgia and the draw against the USA were the two most crucial matches for us."

Coping with the Poland loss

The loss to Poland hit Vantika hard, especially as she had the chance to secure a draw for India in a must-win situation. She was on course for a win, but after a queen exchange, Alicja Sliwicka held her to a draw, and Vantika squandered her winning position.

Upset with her performance, Vantika felt stressed and spent a sleepless night before the match against the USA.

"That is the hardest part in chess, and in any sport. I was completely winning in the Poland game, but it did not go my way. I felt even worse because it was a team event," Vantika revealed.

"I hardly slept that night, but after winning my game against the USA, I felt some relief."

Against the USA, with the Indian women's team trailing, it was yet again Vantika who came to rescue the team as she converted a beautiful Ragozin Defence of Queen Gambit Declined game against Grandmaster Irina Krush.

Even as India remained in contention for the gold medal, heading into the 11th and final round against Azerbaijan, Vantika could not shake off her feelings of guilt.

"For the last 2-3 days, I slept less due to the pressure, nervousness, and excitement. But in the end, everything worked out," she added.

Learning from the favourites

With the Chess Olympiad gold medal achieved after two weeks of gruelling, mind-bending matches, Vantika has charted her future course of action.

"During the tournament, I practiced yoga and meditation every morning. After breakfast, I would start preparing for 2-3 hours before resting ahead of the game," she explained.

At home, Vantika plans to unwind by playing table tennis with her father, going for walks, and meeting friends before heading to her next tournament.

Vantika, who holds the Woman Grandmaster and International Master title, remains focused on improving her game and achieving the Grandmaster title. She looks forward to honing her skills by learning from her favourites such as D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and Magnus Carlsen.

"Gukesh is so young, yet so calm. I want to acquire that calmness. From Arjun, I want to adopt his aggressive, fast, and dynamic style of play. And Magnus - well, he has been ruling the chess world for the last ten years. Even in his worst form, he wins tournaments. He is incredibly versatile," she observed.

"But to improve, the most important thing is understanding your own faults," Vantika said, as she continues her steady rise in the FIDE ratings.