Vantika Agrawal and Indian Chess Champions Meet PM Modi
Indian Chess Olympiad gold medallist Vantika Agrawal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. This meeting was special for Vantika as PM Modi had previously motivated her by felicitating her when she won the Asian under-nine Championship Gold as a young girl.
Vantika shared how being felicitated by PM Modi inspired her to win more accolades for India. She was surprised that the Prime Minister remembered her birthday, which is on September 28th. Vantika gifted PM Modi a picture of her being felicitated by him as a child.
During the interaction, PM Modi spoke about a massive chess event he hosted in Gujarat with 20,000 players, which was initially met with wonder by officials. Harika Dronavalli, a member of the gold-winning women’s team, shared their joy and the support they received from opponents.
Teen chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa discussed how artificial intelligence is helping chess evolve, with players learning new ideas from it. Vidit Gujarathi also mentioned the use of AI tools during preparations and the growing popularity of chess in India.
Tania Sachdev, part of the women’s gold-winning team, recalled how their loss to the USA in a previous Olympiad motivated them to win this time. D Gukesh, winner of the FIDE Candidates tournament, emphasized the team’s effort and motivation to win gold.
Former chess player and grandmaster Abhijit Kunte, who coached the women’s team, highlighted the shift in popularity from foreign stars to Indian players, attributing it to PM Modi’s vision.
The Indian women’s team won gold by defeating Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5, with victories from Harika, Divya, and Vantika. In the men’s competition, the Indian team, comprising D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Pentala Harikrishna, defeated Slovenia to clinch the gold medal.
In the final round, victories from Gukesh and Arjun secured a 2-0 lead, with Praggnanandhaa and Vidit contributing to a 3.5-0.5 win for India. The USA secured second place in the men’s competition, with Uzbekistan winning bronze. In the women’s competition, Kazakhstan claimed silver, and the USA took bronze.
Doubts Revealed
Vantika Agrawal -: Vantika Agrawal is a young Indian chess player who has won a gold medal in the Chess Olympiad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi -: Narendra Modi is the current Prime Minister of India, the leader of the country.
felicitating -: Felicitating means to congratulate or honor someone for their achievements.
Harika Dronavalli -: Harika Dronavalli is another famous Indian chess player who has won many international chess tournaments.
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa -: Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is a young Indian chess prodigy known for his exceptional skills in chess.
AI in chess -: AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, which is smart computer technology that helps players improve their chess game.
Azerbaijan -: Azerbaijan is a country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
Slovenia -: Slovenia is a small country in Central Europe.
Chess Olympiad -: The Chess Olympiad is a major international chess tournament where teams from different countries compete.
