Tania Sachdev has become a household name in Indian chess. For her, chess started as a childhood curiosity—a game that was gifted to her brother, but one she couldn’t resist picking up. Within days, the six-year-old Tania was beating everyone in her family, walking around with a chess board in hand and challenging everyone who stepped into her home to play a game.
“It started as a hobby. My brother was gifted a chessboard, and I wanted to learn it. My father needed a rule book to teach my brother because he didn’t know how to play either. But legend has it that within 5-6 days I was able to beat everyone in my family,” said Tania with a laugh. “As a 6-year-old, I would walk around with a chess board in my hand and would ask my dad to play with me the second he walked into the house after work.”
What started as a hobby soon became a way of life, one that came with its own set of challenges, both on and off the board. Tania’s life is interlinked with chess in a perfect tango.
The Pressure of Performance
The International Master is no stranger to nerves, after years of competing in high–stakes tournaments and matches, with the country’s hopes pinned on her performance, Tania revealed that she doesn’t fear pressure, instead she embraces it.
“Pressure is a privilege,” she said. “If you have people who have expectations from you, if you feel the pressure of performance, you’re doing something right. I do believe some amount of pressure and nerves is good for you, it gets your system going. It works for me to feel some nerves, but it’s important to stay in the moment. I perform an exercise that brings me back to the moment.”
The Internet is Brutal
With Tania moving beyond the playing arena and taking on sports media—commentary, live streaming and social media now play a huge role in her life, but also leave her open to being perceived in ways that she cannot control. In her case, that shift has brought its own set of challenges.
“It’s very easy to say you can just ‘block out the noise’, but it’s difficult,” she admitted. “When I’m at a tournament, I cut myself off social media — I delete all the apps.”
The reason is simple: the Internet is unforgiving, especially to women.
“People on social media are quick to raise you to the top when you do well but equally quick to pull you down,” she said. “Even as a commentator, it’s not an easy space to be in — the internet is brutal. And it’s more brutal towards women, in a lot of different contexts.”
Even though social media has changed how athletes are affected by constant scrutiny online, she was quick to acknowledge that it’s important to surround yourself with a support system and focus on the voices that choose to stand up for what’s right.
“It does affect me, it’s affected some of the strongest minds in the world,” she said. “But I want to give a shoutout to all the women doing a good job — but also to the men who stand up for women as well.”
A Bright Future for Indian Sports
When asked about the talent pipeline for chess in India, Tania was more than optimistic about where Indian sports — and chess — are headed. She calls this the best time to be an athlete in the country.
“Today is the best time in India to pick up sports,” she said. “Sports has suddenly become a huge part of the Indian psyche, especially with so many sponsorships coming up. I do believe India has a great, bright future ahead when it comes to chess. Hard work is inbuilt in Indians, it’s unmatched, and the opportunities are more than ever.
The Gendered Reality of Sports
Being a woman in sports is difficult as it is, and for Tania, taking on new roles in chess also means navigating spaces that haven’t always been welcoming. But Tania believes progress is being made, even if there’s a long way to go.
“I do genuinely believe that there are a lot of good experiences, and a lot of it comes down to men,” she said. “While women, me included, have had some difficult experiences, it’s important to surround yourself with the right people and be strong. It is a difficult space to be in and navigate. And because of a lot of voices, things are getting better — but there’s still a long way to go.”
Staying Grounded
For Tania, it is quite evident that her love for chess fuels her life. The game of chess is an anchor and a space that teaches her humility, resilience and the importance of staying in the moment. Whether she’s fighting it out on the 64 squares or breaking down games on air or learning how to deal with the noise of the Internet, one thing is clear — she knows exactly what it takes to stay grounded.
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