HYDERABAD: On September 22, Indians across the world rose in unison and sang praises for the chess players who had just won—for the first time in checkerboard history—a double gold at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.
The road to winning in both Open and Women’s titles was anything but smooth—but they gave their very best, emerged triumphant, and evoked in us an indescribable pride.
At a felicitation event recently hosted for them at Park Hyatt by Pravaha Foundation, Mytrah Energy, and MGD1, coach Srinath Narayanan and champions Arjun Erigaisi, Harika Dronavalli, Pentala Harikrishna, and Vantika Agrawal open up to Nitika Krishna about the win, their chess journeys, and more.
VANTIKA AGRAWAL:
‘The higher you go, the more learning there is’
Winning the Olympiad feels so amazing! But it wasn’t easy; when I lost my match to my Polish opponent, I was absolutely heartbroken and stressed. My mother said, “Just look ahead.” And that’s exactly what I did, apart from practising yoga and meditation, which helped me calm down and focus. Coming back from the loss against Poland and the personal win against the USA’s Irina Krush were defining moments for me. I actually started playing when I was around seven and what I’ve realised is that the higher you go in the chess world, the more you need to practise and learn.
HARIKA DRONAVALLI: ‘My two-year-old motivates me’
Winning the gold has been my dream ever since I started playing in Olympiads. In the 2022 Olympiad, I was nine months pregnant. We were so close to winning and it was heartbreaking when we didn’t. Somewhere, I stopped believing we could win. But this time, despite the women’s team losing a very crucial game against Poland, we came back so strong. Twenty years on and 10 Olympiads later…this historical win will be etched in history forever! But you know, when I’m away from my two-year-old daughter, the mom guilt kicks in. Yet when I ask her before leaving for a tournament if I should go or stay with her, she motions with her little hand—go and play! I cannot function without chess (laughs).
ARJUN ERIGAISI: ‘My mother is my biggest support’
Winning the Olympiad gold is incomparable to any other win—it is so special! After the win against the USA, we knew 99% that the gold was in the bag. I took one game at a time and was more disciplined than I usually am at home, though I did have this odd craving for hash browns (laughs). Yoga and meditation were helpful in coping with stress but talking to my mother really soothed me as she is my biggest support! My chess journey didn’t start only with chess; along with chess, I was learning swimming, skating, dance and music. Ultimately, I chose chess because it was my passion.
PENTALA HARIKRISHNA: ‘Would always look at the winner’s podium’
Since 2000, I’ve been representing India in Olympiads. Some players see chess as an art or science but I see it as a sport and play to win. So every time I’d play, I would always look at the winner’s podium. This time, India was the strongest team and that was evident especially after our Polish opponents started to play it safe. At this stage in my chess journey, I’m used to stress but what helps me cope is strength training and long walks. But when we did win, it did take some time to sink in—but what a dream come true!
SRINATH NARAYANAN: ‘I’m so proud of them’
I feel proud that we won in both Open and Women categories, especially in such a dominating fashion. One of the most defining moments was beating the USA in the 10th round and another was when D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi beat China in the 7th round. As a coach, I am so proud of them. In chess, players tend to overthink so sports psychologists were helpful in enabling them to organise their thoughts better. For me, the biggest motivator in chess is that it makes me feel good. It all started when I was five years old and saw my brothers play chess during a train journey from Chennai to Mumbai. Today, I feel lucky to do something I enjoy every single day.