Indian Women's strong comeback!! | Team India beats USA at Chess Olympiad 2026

Team India mounted a strong comeback after a tough loss against Poland. The Indian women's team scored a 3-1 victory over USA in round 6 of the Chess Olympiad. Savita Shri Bhaskar and Vantika Agrawal scored the critical wins for the Indian women's team. In this video, we show you the moments from when Savita joined the ChessBase India livestream and the final moments of Vantika Agrawal's game. Check out this video.

Give a check on F7 or something and then move the thing.

Okay, she nailed it.

Yeah.

And guys, we have the one who has scored a very important win, five out of five. And what a timing, Savita, to be here. We also have Vishy here. So congratulations.

Thank you. हाँ, स्वागत है Nihal is losing, right?

Losing, uh, because you saw the queen go, right? This happened, uh, so this is what happened. f4 is much better. He took with the king, g3, and then he went— yeah, actually was looking better, but now Knight e6 is the problem.

क्योंकि ये रिवर्स्ड ऑर्डर है। या मैंने ओके आई कुछ सेफ्टी स्पेस। या बट सविता यू प्लेड एन इंक्रेडिबल गेम मेबी हाउ वाज हाउ वाज इट फॉर यू यू आई थिंक आई थिंक योर विन इज Most likely going to help India win this match against U.S.

Yeah, I'm grateful for it. Yeah, uh, give her the bad news.

Uh, yeah, you can tell her.

When you played bishop takes d five, I knew I play.

I missed something.

Yeah.

Now do you like you know it or?

Uh, I thought okay, I must have won bit easier, but I.

Should I still not run it off?

Yeah, no, don't think there's a mistake.

So here, yeah.

How?

Why?

Wait, wait.

Sorry.

I thought it was your.

No, here, I'm talking about this game.

She should have played bishop a three, right?

I don't know, but at that point, instead of bishop d five, bishop c eight wins on the spot. You should see it repeat once again.

I actually thought we should see it at some other variations, but I, I just like, I took it in a minute, so I didn't even consider these.

Yeah, it's a big, you know, backward move.

If you hadn't won, we wouldn't have told you. I wouldn't have told you. I think now we can spoil your mood a little bit.

I thought I played a pretty good game, and now, yeah, I'm sorry I spoiled that. But anyway, but anyway, you still played a good game.

It was, it was, it was also winning bishop d5. Like, it was not—

okay, that's plus 6 and this is plus 2.

Yeah, yeah.

After that I didn't give any chance, right?

No, you were clean. I cleaned you.

Okay, then fine.

But this opening you played, were you aware of it?

Yeah, that was my prep.

Uh, so तो यहाँ इट वाज माय फ्रेंड, बिकॉज़ शी वाज ऑलवेज प्लेइंग जी थ्री, दैट्स व्हाट अर्जुन वाज हियर, द सेकंड कल्याण, अर्जुन कल्याण, एंड ही टोल लाइक ओपोनेंट ऑलवेज प्लेस जी थ्री, सो दिस वाज, शी मेनली प्लेस कैटलोन, बट आई वाज, आई ओनली नो दैट इंस्टेड ऑफ़ कासल्स यू आर सपोज़ And knight d two, b five, a b six, knight b six.

This is the line.

Yeah.

Like if she plays correctly, like I'm the one who should be defending. But yeah, okay. This was unexpected. But also d five, I didn't understand. I mean, I thought okay, it's easy play for blacks and yeah.

And then it was like a very smooth.

Savita, one question. Your debut. And five out of five. Are you feeling like? Did you ever feel a bit of nervousness going into this Olympiad playing for Team India?

No, not really. Maybe like this round I was a bit nervous because yesterday we lost to Poland, and if something goes wrong in this game, okay, there's no chance for the medal.

Yeah.

So at the start of the game, yeah, I was a bit nervous for this round, but once the game started, I wasn't really thinking about that because I got my prep. Yeah.

How are you so confident, Savita? What's the secret?

I'm not confident always, but this time I don't know.

But Vishy, I think you also interacted with Savita a bit. Maybe any thoughts on like just that she's here, if you can say something.

You're putting him on the spot.

No, not at all.

Are you coming to the Bermuda?

Oh no, no, no.

But, uh, my team coaches, I think, will But it's going to be the first time.

You're not excited to come to Bermuda?

I mean, what is there to be excited?

Very good. But Vaishi, were you like—

did you go to your—

to the Bermuda party first time you played at Lumpiaan?

No, I didn't even— I don't think there was a Bermuda party there. I went to the first— my first Bermuda party was in Calvi.

2004.

I was not even born.

How many of them?

Arjun, I think.

Arjun, yeah, 2003. Yeah, but not— and of course, and Nihal was born as well. It's 2004, isn't it?

Yeah, yeah.

And, uh, Kalbiya was in October, so far.

What's funny about?

No, good odds.

I think like, yeah, I think Niall is more.

I mean, good odds. Five out of six.

But yeah, it was really cool. And right now there's only this game.

Just Mantika is also playing.

Mantika is still playing, but but I think she'll make it. She will be able to draw. And Humpy is still playing.

No, Humpy drew.

Finished, I think.

But I don't know that.

I think she would draw, and also Vantika cannot lose upon a weekend game. So India will win against USA, and Savita congratulations, and keep going. I think you are playing amazing chess.

Thank you.

Okay.

कितने ख़तम ही हो जाता है तब तक हो गया हो गया हो गया हो गया हो गया complicated था थोड़ा weekend game.

संगीता जी how happy are you after this one?

I'm very happy.

It's an honor playing for India.

And winning for India is a very big thing.

You always come with Vantika to the Olympiad also. How is this time different?

This time it is.

I don't think this is different.

Same confidence last year. Last year.

Oh, there, there, there.

Congratulations, Vantika.

Come, come, come. Endgame में भी निकाला। Congratulations!

Congratulations! Great job!

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Vantika, how happy are you after the win? Because the rook endgame was not so simple, I thought.

Yeah, I think I didn't have much hope when I went to that endgame because it looked very drawish. But you know, I was born up and I thought, okay, I'll keep playing and see. And then I think she got very relaxed and she was just moving a rook, and then I think after f5 it was not easy because I have rook d1, rook d7, and my king is coming.

So how, how important do you think this match win is considering the team had a difficult loss yesterday?

Yes, I think this was very, very important for us, and to win with 3-1, such a crushing victory, it makes us feel more confident, and I think we are just back.

Congrats on the crushing victory again. Crush, and overall, क्या लग रहा था? Because Sameta had won earlier, so was it more relaxed that you could push like in a two results position?

Yeah, I think that made it much easier because I had no risk, so I could keep playing. If the position was risky, maybe I would have thought that she has already won, so I could take a draw. But here I can just play without any risk, and I think opponent was feeling so stressed because her team has already. She lost and still she has to defend this endgame. So I think that was in my advantage.

And so, how do you feel after this win?

Uh, I would say more or less a bit relieved after yesterday's, uh, upset.

What did you tell to the team after yesterday? Because you know such a loss is never easy on the players.

Yeah, yesterday was unfortunate. I think we had good chances. I think we We were maybe on a different day we would have won, but yeah, unfortunately things didn't turn out well for us at the end. But yeah, I think the players are quite strong and I believe in them, so definitely that's what I'm hoping.

And what plans for the rest day for Gokul?

We'll see. No, we are more focused on this round.

And will you guys go to the Bermuda party tonight?

It depends upon the team.

Maybe we can ask the team later. But Swams, are you going?

Not decided. I was more focused on the game.

Just one last question, like, how do you pull yourself back from a thing that happened yesterday, from a performance that happened yesterday, and bring such a wonderful performance?

Yeah, I think it was just an unfortunate bad day, we can say, because, yeah, let's say Vaishali lost, but she had things under control. She was in fact pushing for a win, and yeah, it didn't just— didn't go go her way. But I think the team is strong enough. Definitely Vaishali is waiting to come back as well, stronger. So yeah, I would say in general coming back is like these players are professional players. They have been playing for India and representing at a world level for so many years. So definitely I think I don't have to teach them how to come back. They already know it.

Great. साविता फाइव आउट ऑफ़ फाइव नाउ वंदिका आल्सो परफेक्ट स्कोर वंदिका इस द गोल्डन गर्ल ऑफ़ द टीम डेफिनेटली हाउ कॉन्फिडेंट डू यू फील व्हेन यू हैव साविता एंड वंदिका इन द टीम और ऑब्वियसली द थ्री अदर गर्ल्स अलसो डेफिनेटली आई थिंक लाइक द यंग गर्ल्स आर स्कोरिंग एंड दैट Hoping the other players to also strike in that crucial matches. Thank you so much.

Last question, Mandika. You just love playing at the Olympiad for India, right?

Yeah.

And what makes it special? Is it playing for India or the team spirit?

I think everything. I just love returning to the Olympiad, playing for my country, fighting every game for a win, and I think I'll just continue doing that.

Thank you and good luck.

Thank you.

Once they crash on the bed after they go back home, it's crazy.

Let's go! We have the—

who can we have?

We are looking at Vantika's game.

Who can it be?

Let's go, Grandmaster! स्वयं मिश्रा इज़ हियर। हाय वंतिका, कंग्रेस, वेल डन। थैंक यू। प्लीज़ हैव अ सीट। कंग्रेसुलेशंस। सॉरी। टीम इंडिया विमेन्स टीम एंड वन ऑफ़ द टू स्ट्राइकर्स टुडे, वंतिका एंड सविता, बोथ आह बोथ केम तू द स्टूडियो। यस। सो वी हैड सविता सम टाइम अगो। कंग्रेसुलेशंस। स्वयं And one thing, guys, yesterday was such a tough match with Poland, but today you guys came back with so much energy. Please share something like what, because somewhere people are a little bit sad that Indian men's team lost, but it's a great learning from the women's team that we can get.

Yeah, I think, uh, uh, it's unfortunate for the men's team. They had a very close match and that was well fought. Coming back to women's, it was unfortunate again for us because yesterday was a close match again. I think maybe there was a— on a different day we would have ended up winning that match, but yeah, just things didn't go our way and we ended up losing in a close match.

Yeah, but then what did you guys do? Like, did you have a team meeting? Was— how did the mood change, or was everyone fine?

Yeah, I think everyone was more or less okay. Just, it's one game. It was not like everyone had a bad day or something. So, it was just one game that could have gone either way. And the team was, and in fact is, very motivated as well to get back. And today they showed it.

And Vantika, you had such a marathon game. We were actually looking because The thing is, there is a 15-minute delay here, so if you look, you are still there, just about to finish off the game. What a game! Yeah, you played, uh, maybe at some point you were completely winning, then it went a little bit like towards a draw. But I think by when Savita had won, maybe the pressure was not that much. Can you share?

Like, yeah, I think it was such a relief because Savita had already won and, uh, Um, yeah, Divya's position at once, it looked a bit dangerous, so her game had also ended in a draw. So I, I was pawn up and I knew it is theoretically a draw and should be an easy draw, but I kept playing. And I think my opponent was under a lot of pressure because her team had already lost, but she had to still keep defending. I think that really helped me.

And you actually had defeated Irina once before.

Yeah.

Do you think like this was One of the reasons why you were feeling even more confident about this match?

Yeah, I think so. If you have defeated a player, then you feel more confident. And maybe for her also, she was feeling a bit tense because last time in Olympia she lost that crucial game against me.

So I think more than her, it was me who was feeling more confident when she was playing Crush.

Wow, it's a great strategy sometimes to have players face the opponents they have beaten already. Yeah, I think, uh, that gives— but, uh, Vandika, you are playing something. Even yesterday you were almost like better. Yeah, we thought that you could win. So you are on 4.5 out of 5. Yeah, it's amazing score. Uh, tell us a bit about like how are you able to play so, so well? Like just if you can share some things.

Yeah, I think I just love playing for my country and I just try my best to fight every game and try to win everything.

Actually, you know, also in the initial rounds, actually I love that even I think in the first or second round you had the chance of I think repeating or playing on, and playing on was risky with less time, but you still managed to do that.

It was round 1, I think. Yeah, yeah, round 1.

But then how do you like generally, you know, I am very afraid of time pressure. Many people watching are also like very nervous. How do you manage to keep your emotions and calculations under control with such little time?

I think I've been playing in time pressure for very long now, so I've got kind of used to it. It's not like the best thing, but I keep playing many times and almost always, so I'm used to it.

I was on the bad end of this because I was playing Vansika in Abu Dhabi, I think. 6-7 years back, and, uh, she was under big-time pressure, and maybe the position was not equal, but I was just so excited that she has 1 minute on the clock, and I didn't know that she's so comfortable with 1 minute. So I took a lot of risks, and then Vansika defeated me.

Well, you should have read her name properly. One is already in her name. Yeah, so she, she won the game. But, uh, today, I mean, one thing, I'm here, we finish, and I think it requires precise calculation here. That black king is not coming in time to push the pawn.

Yeah, I think I can just get king e five, king king f six, king e five.

Oh wow!

King f six.

Yeah, she played king c seven. I played king f six and she just resigned.

Yeah.

Oh, and if here you come here and then just take the rook and your king is just so near.

Yeah.

Amazing. And soems, how is the team bonding, team camaraderie? You have like a very interesting situation where. The bottom two boards are playing really well. Savita five on five, Vantika four and half on five, and at the top you have Hampi who has been solid, Divya who has also been solid. Paishali lost one game but also pretty good. So overall happy with how the team is playing.

Yeah, I think the team is doing quite well. Like the bonding is good, I would say. Yeah, I think the players are able to score. That is important. हम भी इस getting some good positions and then she gets like let's say like in certain cases she had to defend and she was able to defend precisely in those games. Yeah, Deepya I think also has been scoring and has been a couple of solid draws as well. So the team looks good. Just hoping that we get the wins in crunch situations.

And Vantika, will we see you today at the Bermuda party?

I have not decided yet. I'll see.

Will like, will you ask your coach?

Yes, I think if everyone is going, I mean considering we won today, I I could I'll go. I mean I would think of going.

It was never in our mind. We were more focused about this match.

Now it's that. So you have a day to unwind.

Yeah, we'll think and then we'll consider.

Amazing. I'm gonna buy you.

Also same. Yeah, I did.

He knows the dance from last year.

मैं जाके पांच मिनट में बड़ा-बड़ा dance करके आ जाऊँगा। But yeah, here you one one thing any one moment you want to show from your game that you thought was important like a critical moment or something?

I found D four to be very special, but of course that was.

Yeah, I think I didn't like what she played this bishop A six move. I think it was. Around equal at that point, and then she just allowed.

Ah, you are right.

Yeah, this move I didn't like at all because my bishop on d5 is so strong, and there was just no need to play this. She could have played anything else. Yeah, rook c8.

I think in we saw this, we were like, okay, Vartika's position doesn't look. That great because if you can trade the bishops here, then you are better. But it's very difficult. And then suddenly you got like a question position.

Yeah, and also this a four looked wrong. Yeah, and I was a bit upset that towards the end that you know I had such a good position and now maybe it will end in a draw. But I thought okay, I can just keep pushing.

Did you feel like here there was a very crazy way to win? We also didn't understand it.

I think Queen f six.

Yeah, Queen f6.

Yeah, I saw Queen f6.

Yeah, I thought c8, Queen c8, then what?

Rook c8, Rook d6.

Yeah, ah, Rook d6.

But Black has to play Queen c6 here, and this endgame is probably much better for White with that.

Yeah, I saw Queen f6, but I thought maybe this endgame will end in a draw, and I just didn't go for it. Maybe rook c8 something else. Yeah, rook d4.

Okay.

Yeah, and if queen exchanges, rook d4. Now also queen c6, and that endgame is lost eventually. And here, and then play b5. And, ah, okay.

Also, maybe without, uh, rook d8, white could also try somewhere rook d4 and, uh, try to get the king to the queenside. That also has quite a good opportunity.

Yeah, and here I have three pawns in the game. It was even two pawns.

Yeah, with a slightly more passive.

But I think the last final idea was very cool. This f five concept umbrella umbrella method.

Yeah, yeah, it would come in some books one day.

It was a very good thing.

H four.

Oh, by the way, there was this like the thing is I didn't understand it fully, but it's like black has to take the last rank. Rook d one. Yeah, distance. Because you could play Rook B one. You weren't taking it, and she wasn't taking it. So, but somehow it was difficult to understand this position a bit. It was complicated.

I saw this idea, but yeah, I think she had she didn't feel the danger because you know most of the rook end games are draws. So I think that's why she just played those moves.

Amazing, nice. What a beautiful way to end this stream, guys. Thank you for coming here. Because you know today was a very topsy-turvy day, just like yesterday. You know yesterday we had a one happy result, one not so happy. Today also the same. But I think ending it on a high note with Vantika's victory, with Swayams coming in here and you know coach of the team and one of the top scorers of the team. I think it has been amazing.

Yeah.

So thank you so much guys for coming and I hope to see you at the Bermuda party.

Yeah, and for you guys, we'll not have a stream tomorrow. It's the rest day, but we will see you day after tomorrow at 3 PM Indian time. Until then, bye-bye.

Bye-bye.