Tania: My parents have been very supportive

‘Indian chess lacks global exposure’
DIVYA KALRA
INDIATIMES SPORTS

Woman Grandmaster Tania Sachdev recently won the National Women’s ‘A’ Championship in Chennai and will be part of the Indian team for the first time in the upcoming international tournaments. In an interview with Divya Kalra , Tania talks about chess and all her plans of making the right moves.

Q: You became a grandmaster at an age when girls are thinking of dolls and clothes. How has it been handling the adulation and pressures of studies with expectations from your game?

I started playing chess when I was seven years old. The game just grew on me, as it was never a conscious decision to take chess as a career. But as I grew, the game became more and more important for me. The main reason was of course that I enjoyed playing the game, and have been quite passionate about it since the very beginning. Well, dolls, I always found them very lame. As far as clothes are concerned, I am still obsessed with them. I can shop for clothes for long hours.

There are many people who have completely given up education for their game. But somehow that was never an option for me. Education was always important for me. In fact, I enjoy studying. Although it is really difficult to maintain a balance between the two, I have to work pretty hard and sometimes it gets to me. I play for about 10 months, and then give two months completely to my studies. So that’s my year!

Fortunately, my parents have been very supportive. They have always given me the freedom to decide on tournaments that I wish to play, and have put no pressure whatsoever. I am also lucky to be in a good college, Sri Venkateshwara College in South Delhi. Everyone in my college has been extremely supportive and encouraging.

Q: You’ll be part of the Indian team for the first time and participate in all official events in 2007. Which all tournaments are you scheduled to play in? What is going to be your strategy?

I will be playing in the Gibraltar Open Grandmaster Tournament next year. After that I will be participating in the Aeroflot Tournament in February in Moscow and then the US Open in June. Being the National Women’s Champion, of course, brings with the title a lot of responsibility. You have to play not just for yourself, but also for your country. So I have to work much harder. I know what my weaknesses and strengths are. As for now, my strategy is to work on my weaknesses and strengthen my strong points.

Q: You won five simultaneous titles at the British Championship, creating history by becoming the first woman to do so since the tournament began in 1904. Has there been any other high like that one?

I was too young that time. I didn’t even realise what I had achieved. In fact, I used to wonder why everyone around me is so hysterical. But it really was a big deal, as it was a world record. It definitely holds a special place in my life. At the same time, there are a lot of other achievements too that have made me equally happy; like when I won the Asian U-16 and then the Asian Juniors. Of course, when I became a woman Grandmaster and won the National Women’s Champion, it was a different feeling altogether, as these were Open tournaments with no age group. Actually, it is quite cool to win it.

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