Here’s all about Vantika Agrawal Who Won the National Women Online Chess Title!
Women International Master, Vantika Agrawal secured the national women’s online chess title recently and we are all so proud of her. Here’s all you need to know about her.
While India’s star athletes were making history at the Tokyo Olympics, the chess geniuses back home were no less. The All India Chess Federation (AICF) organized the National Women’s online chess championship title from July 26–28, 2021. Delhi’s Vantika Agrawal won the inaugural title after she scored 9.5 out of the 11 rounds. She defeated Bhakti and P. V. Nandhidhaa, seeded three and five in the tournament to make her way to winning the title. She lost only one round against former National champion, Swati Ghate. Arpita Mukherjee from West Bengal secured the second place with 9 points, followed by Tamil Nadu’s Sreeja Seshadri, who scored 8.5 points.
Agrawal began playing chess as a 7-year-old when her brother, Vishesh, needed a partner to play with. He taught Vantika the basics, and as a result, her interest in the field grew. They asked their mother to enroll them in a chess academy so that they could learn the game professionally. After only a month of practice, they competed in the Delhi state championship, and thus began her journey as a chess player. She has played several club tournaments ever since and has won many category prizes. Agrawal made many mistakes in her career but also learned from them. In her online Ted Talk with NIT Raipur, she said that her coach always told her, “You never lose in chess. Either you win, or you learn.” These are the words she goes by and remembers whenever she faces a defeat.
Her first milestone was winning the Delhi State Championship. She worked on improving her chess rating and made it a point to play at least two tournaments in a month. She traveled throughout the country and the world. She made many podium finishes at the National, Asian World, and Commonwealth championships. She was honored by then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi for her achievements in chess alongside Indian chess grandmaster, Viswanathan Anand. She is also the recipient of the President’s award. In 2017, Agrawal won the Woman International Master (WIM) title back when she was only 14. She also has several other titles to her name.
Last year, she was a part of the Indian squad that won the Olympiad gold for the first time joining Russia, defeating 163 competing nations. As the third-highest-rated junior in India, she was selected for the team in the junior girl’s category. Her current rating is 2286. Vantika draws her inspiration from her mom. She travels with her for the tournaments and motivates her every time. Her inspiration in chess is Magnus Carlson, the current World Chess Champion. She aspires to be a Chess Grandmaster and become a part of the Olympiad team again.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, sporting events have taken the online route. The All India Chess Federation has decided to consider the result of this online tournament as a selection trial for the Asian individual championship and other chess events. We at Fuzia congratulate Vantika Agrawal for her incredible win and wish her luck for the upcoming tournaments.
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