Legends of the Future: Vantika Agrawal

Vantika Agrawal is a highly acclaimed Chess player from India who is also considered a game-changer for Women’s Chess in India. For some people, it takes time to rise in the Chess ranks, but not for Vantika, as she quickly grew in international Chess and became one of India’s most promising talents. 

Vantika’s Chess career began at the age of seven, and she was inspired by her elder brother. Her mother was the one who recognized her potential and supported her in becoming a Chess player. She even left her job so that she could help her daughter achieve her dreams. She won her first Gold medal at the age of just nine at the Under-9 Asian Schools Championship in 2011. 

Vantika also had to manage her academics while continuing to pursue the sport. She completed her schooling from Amity International School in Noida and then did her B.Com from Shri Ram College of Commerce and Economics, one of the most prestigious colleges in India. 

In 2013, Vantika earned a Silver Medal at the National Under-11 Chess Championships in Delhi and then continued her rise in 2014 as well, when she won the Silver medal at the National Under-13 Championships. 2015 was another shining year for the youngster as she went on to win the Silver Medal in the Silver Medal in the Commonwealth Under-14 in Delhi. Vantika achieved her first international success in 2016 when she won the Bronze medal in the Under-14 World Championship. She had also won the Silver Medal in the National Sub-Junior Championship.

Agrawal’s rise continued in 2019 when she continued to fill her medal cabinet as she won a Silver medal in the National Women's Championship, World Youth Under-18 Girls, Asian Junior tournament, and the Western Asian Juniors. Vantika took part in the 2020 Chess Olympiad in Budapest and her team included the likes of Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, Harika Dronavalli while the men’s team included Vishwanathan Anand, Vidit Gujrathi etc. India won the Gold medal in both categories.

Her dream of becoming the Grandmaster was achieved in 2021. She won the Gold Medal in the National Women's Chess Championship, Yerevan Open. She continued to grow rapidly and in 2023, became the 11th Indian woman to become an International Master. In 2023, she also won the Silver Medal at the Asian Games alongside, Knoeru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali R and Savita Shri. She won the Individual Gold medal for Board 4 at the Individual Chess Olympiad. In the 2024 Chess Olympiad, she defeated one of the great Grandmasters, Bella Khotenashvili, in 46 moves with Black and achieved this under severe time pressure. For her achievements in Chess, Vantika was given the Arjuna Award in 2025. 

Recently, Vantika was announced as the Brand Ambassador of LG Electronics India. On her appointment, Hong Ju Jeon- MD LG Electronics India said, “At LG Electronics, we pride ourselves on deeply understanding our consumers and continuously innovating to improve their lives. Vantika embodies this same spirit through her relentless pursuit of excellence and her forward-thinking mindset.  Like LG, Vantika also aligns perfectly with the aspirations of a new, ambitious India, one that is bold and ready to embrace the future. We are excited to partner with her and embark on this exciting and new journey together.”