NEWS
Tania Sachdev, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM), needs no introduction. She started playing chess when she was just six years old. And as she grew older, so did her list of achievements. She is the eight Indian chess player to become the Grandmaster. In a supposedly men’s game, Tania made a very strong mark of her own and has shunned all those arguments who doubted her.
Vivacious, bold, and cheerful, Tania has added a much-needed dose of glamour to the game of chess. Currently, Along with her sponsor Red Bull, Tania is also working to give wings to the budding chess players in the country.
| Full Name | Tania Sachdev |
|---|---|
| Sport | Chess |
| World Rank | 2894(all players), 2017(active players) |
| FIDE Title | International Master(2008), Woman Grandmaster(2005), Woman International Master(2002) |
| Hometown | New Delhi |
| Height | 171 cm |
| Age | 32 years (20 August 1986 ) |
| FIDE Rating | 2400(As of October 2018) |
Born to and raised by two athlete parents, it isn’t surprising that Tanya decided to pursue a career in sport. However, the family never thought she’ll opt for chess. Her father brought a simple chessboard when she was just six years old. He was trying to teach the game to her brother. However, in a pleasant twist of faith, it was Tania who picked up the game and soon mastered it!
“I picked up the rules, and two or three days later, I asked my dad for a game and beat him. Since then, my parents have always been supportive, and they made me take up professional training,” Tania told YourStory in an interview.
Seeing her talent at such a tender age, her parents decided to give her professional training. She won her first international title when she just was eight years old. KC Joshi, her coach in initial years, noticed the young girl with tremendous potential and agreed to coach her after her parents approached him. Later on, she was also coached by IM Vishal Sareen and GM Ubilava.
Young Tania Sachdev proudly flaunting her trophy (left)
Once Tania began her chess journey, there was literally nothing that could stop her. Soon, she became the under-12 Indian champion. She also won the bronze medal at the 1998 World U12 Girls Championship.
In 2000, she became the Asian U-14 girls’ champion and won the Asian Junior Girls Championship in 2012.
The year 2005 will always be special for Tanya as she won the Woman Grandmaster title that year. She became the eighth Indian player to achieve this feat. The incredible run continued with two simultaneous achievements at India’s National Women’s Premier Chess Championship in 2006 and 2007.
Another exciting victory came at the Women’s Asian Chess Championship in 2007. Tania has represented the Indian chess team in various tournaments. Some of them are –
In 2012, she won an individual bronze medal at the Women’s Chess Olympiad held Istanbul. At the Women’s Asian Team Championship she won four silver medals in the team event held in years 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2014. At the same tournament, she even won individual silver and bronze medals.
At the Reykjavik Open 2016, she won the best women chess player award. The very same year, she won Commonwealth Women’s Championship as well.
She repeated the feat in the year 2018 as well.
Tania has faced her share of sexist prejudices, just like most women in this country. It has always been assumed that chess is more suited to a male mind. However, Tania broke all these hollow assumptions and never let any snide comments get to her. Very often, her moves were labelled as ‘girl’s moves’. Tania made these moves her strength and shut all naysayers with her brilliance. Instead of letting all the negativity affect her, she used it to motivate herself and be a stronger player.
Her amazing journey has brought chess in the limelight. A vivacious and vibrant individual, Tania transforms into a focused a player as soon as she sits in front of a chess board.
Tania is a proper Delhi girl. Her father, Pammi Sachdev is a businessman, who played football in college. Her mother, Anju was a state-level badminton player in college. Tania has two siblings, a brother and a sister each. Both are elder to her. Her brother is a professional golfer.
Tania with her family
Tania Sachdev with husband Viraj Kataria.
Tanya married fellow Delhite Viraj Kataria in 2014. The couple met at her mother’s birthday party and instantly became good friends. Their parents were already family friends since quite some time. After around a year, Viraj proposed and the couple decided to get married. The wedding was a grand affair and included both Hindu and Sikh ceremonies, as Tania is Sikh.
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