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The Indian IM has submitted the scoresheet with the correct result of a win to the tournament’s arbiter, but it was found out that the arbiter had listed her result as a loss.
Indian IM Vantika Agrawal (Image: X)
Indian Chess International Master Vantika Agrawal made the shocking decision to withdraw from the third President Cup on Sunday, owing to ‘wrong results’ being published by the arbiters in place.
Vantika, who was a standout performer for India at the 2024 Chess Olympiad where the Indian women’s team earlier this year won the Gold, started the tournament with 1.5 out of a possible 2 points and went on to fight for a draw in her third-round game.
The Indian IM has submitted the scoresheet with the correct result to the tournament’s arbiter, but it was found out that the arbiter had listed her result as a loss.
Upon discovering the fault, Vantika had approached the arbiters and requested them to correct the result. But, due to a FIDE ruling that disallows the changing of results once they have been published, the error stood and Vantika’s game was marked as a loss regardless.
After the incident, Vantika took her frustrations to social media, where she announced that she will be withdrawing from the tounrnament.
I have withdrawn from the tournament. I can’t continue playing in a tournament where wrong result and pairings has been published because of arbiter’s fault and there is no way to correct it inspite of immediate information. There is no guarantee that this will not happen again.…— Vantika (@vantikachess) November 24, 2024
“I have withdrawn from the tournament. I can’t continue playing in a tournament where wrong result and pairings has been published because of arbiter’s fault and there is no way to correct it inspite of immediate information. There is no guarantee that this will not happen again,” Vantika wrote on X.
The Indian IM had earlier vented her frustrations at the rules, and sought for immediate change, as such mistakes lead to unfair circumstances for the players involved.
“FIDE should change this rule with immediate effect. This time I am the victim, next time anyone else could be. I don’t want anyone to suffer like me,” Vantika wrote on an Instagram post.
“If anyone is fighting for a GM norm, such mistakes can easily affect their chances. Because of this FIDE rule, the arbiter can change the result or pairing anytime at their will and claim it’s FIDE’s rule that pairings can’t be changed.”
“The whole thing became so stressful for me. If it is the arbiter’s mistake, why should I suffer? I have spent a lot of money to play in this tournament,” vented Vantika.
