Meet Tania Sachdev, The Grandmaster making moves in the ‘man’s game’ of chess

Born and raised in Delhi, Tania Sachdev did her schooling from Modern School in Vasant Vihar, and studied English Literature, Political Science and Psychology from…

Born and raised in Delhi, Tania Sachdev did her schooling from Modern School in Vasant Vihar, and studied English Literature, Political Science and Psychology from the Delhi University. Fun fact – Tania’s father learnt the game alongside his little grandmaster, even as the latter checkmated him less than a week into playing together.

The pair unearthed the incredible game when the group of competitors – a dad who played football in school, and a mother who played state-level badminton – got one of those basic, light-weight chess sets as a blessing. Tania’s dad showed himself the game from the guidance booklet.

Strangely but surely, her father first tried to pique her older brother’s interest in chess, for he didn’t think it would be a five-year-old’s cup of tea. But Tania sat there gaping at that mysterious set nonetheless.

As far back as that day, Tania began getting increasingly more associated with the game. At the point when her longing and drive ended up obvious, and the family observed that she wasn’t “playing” around, they moved toward chess grandmaster KC Joshi to mentor her.

When she is not busy being a champion, or championing the game, the Bollywood-buff and trained classical dancer swears by Yoga to keep one’s mind and focus razor-sharp. “Yoga and meditation help calm you down, so you can re-adjust and re-focus your mind. Working on and improving one’s breathing is a great way to make sure your brain works well, even in high-pressure moments,” she reveals.