In a sport where prodigies often emerge early, Vantika Agarwal took her time to rise to prominence. However, at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, she emerged as a key player, winning individual gold on the fourth board for the Indian women’s team, which made history by matching the men’s team’s gold medal triumph—making India only the third nation to achieve this double victory.
Throughout the tournament, Vantika found herself under pressure, especially when teammate R Vaishali, playing on the second board, had tough matches against strong opponents. After a tough loss to her Polish opponent, Vantika was disheartened. “I take losses very hard, and I was completely winning that game. On a normal day, I would win that match 10 out of 10 times,” she said. However, she bounced back the next day with a crucial win against the USA, helping secure the team’s success.
Vantika’s journey into chess didn’t begin at the typical young age. At seven and a half, when her mother Sangeeta took her and her brother Vishesh to a Delhi State tournament, she was surprised by how young many of the players were. Initially, Sangeeta thought her son was the more promising chess player, often jokingly referring to Vantika as ‘buddhu’ (a fool). Despite slow early results, Vantika remained motivated, and with the guidance of a coach, she started improving.
Her progress was gradual but steady, eventually competing with older players and defeating higher-rated opponents. However, a pattern emerged where she would come close but miss out on gold, including losing a tiebreaker at the Asian Juniors and finishing with six silver medals in 2019.
The pandemic in 2020 brought chess into the spotlight, with many players transitioning to online platforms. As over-the-board chess resumed, Vantika played 28 tournaments between 2022 and the 2024 Chess Olympiad while simultaneously completing her degree at Delhi University. Balancing academics and chess was challenging, but Vantika managed to pass her exams, even studying on the go during tournaments.
Now, with her studies completed, Vantika is fully focused on chess. Her once-cherished family activities, such as watching Korean TV shows or playing table tennis, have taken a back seat as she immerses herself completely in the game. Her dedication and perseverance have made her one of India’s rising stars in chess.
