In a live post‑match interview after India’s 3‑1 victory over Uzbekistan at the 2026 Chess Olympiad, hosts Samay Raina and Sagar Shah chat with board‑2 player Vantika Agrawal. The conversation weaves between Hindi and English, covering Vantika’s winning game (a pawn‑sacrificing opening that transitioned into a rook endgame), her brief three‑day rest watching India’s Got Talent, and her unexpected dancing talent. The hosts also discuss team logistics – a player feeling unwell, early‑morning pairings, and the difficulty of deciding line‑ups – and look ahead to the upcoming India‑vs‑China clash. Light‑hearted banter about “Bermuda parties”, “lying talent”, and the team’s morale punctuates the interview, while the overall tone remains celebratory and informal.
Chapters
You are my room. You won your game.
Congratulations, Debiya.
Top chance.
Absolutely.
मरा रही है ना चैट को पूछ लो तुम्हारे तू H3 ला 93 बगितला होता है कारी जिट के ला 93 विनिंग होता है थोड़ा सा कॉम्प्लिकेटेड होता है अंदर but yeah but later you played amazing सविता ड्रू सरप्राइजिंगली आफ्टर सेवेन विंस, but you and दिव्या टुक द पॉइंट होम फॉर इंडिया। हाउ डज इट फील टू विन दिस इम्पोर्टेंट गेम अगेंस्ट द लो द होस्ट्स?
उस विकेस का। Yeah, I think the offline team was very strong. All the players were playing quite well, so I'm really happy that you know we could win and that too with three wins.
And lastly, Tanya is watching is going to be watching this and we are going to show this on stream. Any message to Tanya, your your teammate from the last Olympic and the Indian fans watching?
Yeah, that we'll try to do our best to win a medal here.
Thank you so much and back to you guys in the studio.
Take care. Thank you so much.
Oh, we have a special guest here by Samay bhai. We have one of the most amazing and sweetest people in the chess world. Vantika Agrawal is here. जिन्होंने अभी victory की है। अंजलि का can you hear this? We have Samay on stream. थोड़ा जोर से बोलो वंतिका। Hello, hello. समय भाई हाय तो बोलो। हाय, I can't hear, I couldn't hear her.
Hello, Vantika, congratulations. Long time.
Yeah, so like for last three days I was in rest and yesterday I thought okay I can't do any more chess and my way to prepare for the next few hours I was watching India's Got Talent.
Oh my god!
That's so sweet of you, Vantika. मेरा उल्टा है, मेरा उल्टा है. I was doing India's Got Talent and I was editing the whole day. I thought today I'll take rest and I will watch some chess.
I watched all the episodes and I'm like, why there are no more episodes?
Let's go, let's go!
क्या बात है? Wow, amazing! One thing so basically आपने India's got latent देखा and now you you won today and now we won India's got gold medal. Amazing. But one thing, कैसा लगा आज का game? You played so well.
Yeah, I'm glad. It was not easy coming back after three days, but I think I played quite well. She sacrificed a pawn in the opening, and I don't think she got enough compensation. And slowly I was pressing. I was on off, and we went to this rook endgame. I think there were some drawish tendencies, but once I got f We exchanged that pawn and she allowed everything.
Like my king came to g5, rook on e5, h4 and पूरा आप ऐसे ही जीत गए। Wow! Amazing!
By the way, Vantika, अगर भाई you see so many games every day, you see, you interact with such amazing players, how are you not improving, man? Like you know, you are right, you are still the same, but that's not good, you know.
You know, sometimes I feel that the world is changing so much in this world कि कोई चीज़ तो constant रहना चाहिए तो इसके लिए मैं मेरा level को same ही रखता हूँ। नहीं नहीं गिर ही रहा है भाई। But समय भाई apart from Vantika playing incredible chess in this tournament and she is on five and half out of There you go.
That's my latent audience, guys. Come on.
Let's go. And but do you know one more talent which we discovered about Vantika in this entire tournament? क्या हो सकता है? Which is which we did not know.
That she does not mind that Sagar Shah does not show her games.
भाई नहीं बर्मुड़ा पार्टी के में क्या हो सकता है?
How old is she?
Oh, Vantika is twenty two, no twenty three.
Okay, maybe I don't know. What has she become an alcoholic now?
अरे भाई भाई भाई.
She is an incredible dancer.
Oh damn!
भाई.
But got to know कि इतना अच्छा dance करती है वो। पर जिन भी Bermuda parties में मैं आया हूँ वहाँ पे ambulance ही आ रही होती थी भाई। कोई तल्लियों के गिर जा रहा है कहीं। You remember I have been to three Bermuda parties everywhere. Too, there were just ambulances and ambulances over there.
नहीं नहीं इधर कुछ नहीं था here it was very nice in Uzbekistan very quiet and so it was very nice.
Has she seen your dance with Amruta?
You saw me dancing also ना बंदिया कैसा लगा? Thank you. See भाई see some people इसका और एक talent भी है कि ये झूठ भी बहुत सही बोलती है। वो भी हाथ के झूठ बोलती है भाई। ये भी एक टैलेंट आज जिसका वर्गिया हमने। but अंतिका बहुत मजा आया आपका गेम देखके and because you were so solid we were never in trouble in this match so thank you so much for playing so well take some rest and come back stronger tomorrow let's go all the best thank you for coming see you अंतिका जी all the best thank you Bye guys, that was Vantika Agrawal here joining us after an insanely good game.
I don't need the clip. Now you have to tell us what is the message that you give. We were thinking of Chakde India music and all.
Uh, let it remain a secret here till the event ends. Okay, how was today's game? Uh, it was good. Uh, it was quite smooth. Uh, at some point initially, I think Divya had some problems, but she managed to trick her opponent falling for a trap, and then it was winning. Vandika played a smooth game throughout, and, uh, first and fourth board were always in control.
She was feeling a little sick and you had to decide the pairings at 7 AM today. Can you tell us more?
Yeah, I think, uh, let's say It's of course a difficult scenario with the team, but yeah, I think everyone is giving their best and trying to do it for the country.
Did you expect a 3-1 score today, or was it even more expected?
We were not thinking anything, we just wanted to win, that's all.
And China won, and it's likely India versus China tomorrow. Good luck, and your thoughts on that match?
Yeah, I think we'll be— we are excited for that match and we want to give our best.
And every single day to make this decision, who will play, how hard it is, you know. We cannot imagine ourselves in your shoes.
Mostly on last 2 boards.
Yeah, I think you can see me, my hair going white.
So yeah, that's fine, but don't go bald.
Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. All the best, all the best. Take some good rest.
