Prime Minister Modi Receives Special Gift from Chess Prodigy Vantika Agarwal During Celebration of Chess Olympiad Success
New Delhi, 26th September 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented with a unique gift by chess prodigy Vantika Agarwal during a meeting with the gold medal-winning teams from the Chess Olympiad 2024. During this occasion, PM Modi reminisced about organizing the ‘Swarnim Chess Mahotsav’ in 2010 as part of his Khel Mahakumbh initiative while serving as Chief Minister of Gujarat. He also recalled the ‘Swami Vivekananda Mahila Chess Mahotsav’ held in Gandhinagar in 2012, which attracted 3,500 female chess players, including Vantika, who gifted him a photograph from that event. The image captured a moment of PM Modi honouring Vantika, and he expressed his delight at receiving such a meaningful gift.
On Wednesday, during the visit of India’s men’s and women’s chess teams to his residence, PM Modi observed a bullet chess game between team members R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi.
The recent Chess Olympiad marked a historic moment for India, with both the men’s and women’s teams winning gold medals for the first time in their respective categories, making them part of a select group of nations to achieve double gold in the same edition of the competition.
Following this significant success, PM Modi hosted a celebration for the Indian chess teams at his residence. He shared a video on his social media channels featuring Praggnanandhaa and Arjun competing in a bullet chess match, commenting, “Bullet Chess by two Grandmasters. Incredible! India’s chess future is very bright.”
In the men’s tournament, the USA secured the second position, while Uzbekistan earned the bronze medal. In the women’s event, Kazakhstan took silver, and the USA won bronze.
In the final round, the Indian men’s team—comprising D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Pentala Harikrishna—defeated Slovenia to secure the gold medal. Gukesh and Arjun’s victories provided India with a 2-0 lead, followed by Praggnanandhaa’s win and a draw by Vidit, resulting in a decisive 3.5-0.5 win for India.
Similarly, the Indian women’s team—featuring Harika Dronavalli, R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agarwal, and Tania Sachdev—also claimed gold by defeating Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5. In the final round, Harika, Divya, and Vantika won their matches, while Vaishali drew against Ulviyya Fataliyeva.
