Chess
Tania Sachdev answers 11 questions from fans
The Indian pro chess player let fans ask her anything for a day on social media. Here are her responses.
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Tania Sachdev is one of India’s most reputed chess players.
The International Master and Woman Grandmaster recently took to social media to engage with fans, answering questions and giving advice on how amateur players could improve their game.
Read on for some fan questions posed to Tania and her responses.
Which opening do you prefer to play in a blitz match?
In a blitz game, I would start with my usual D4. With black it kind of depends how white goes. But it could be a Sicilian or if white starts with D4, it could be a Nimzo. I think it’s a really good idea to stay in familiar territory when you are playing blitz because there isn’t so much time. So you want to be able to move fast, and know the plans and ideas you want to go for. So try and play lines which are in your comfort zone.
4 min
Interview with Chess Grandmaster Tania Sachdev
Indian chess player Tania Sachdev holds the titles of International Grandmaster and Women’s Grandmaster. She’s speaking to us – and herself – about how she got into chess.
If not chess, where would you invest your time and energy?
That is a tough one. I think it would be something to do with media. Maybe a streamer – that could be fun.
How did you first start playing chess?
My family had been gifted chess board and my father tried teaching my brother how to play. But instead of him, it was me who picked it up and got really into it. And as they say, the rest is history.
Who is your current favourite chess player and who is your all-time favourite player?
My current favourite chess player is Magnus Carlsen. My all-time favourite chess player? I would have to say Viswanathan Anand, Garry Kasparov, Jose Ruiz Capablanca and Bobby Fischer – so that’s four favourites.
My current ELO rating is 1300. How do I improve?
There are so many ways that you can improve. And it is the perfect time to get better now. I would suggest that you don’t focus too much on openings but try and work on your general understanding of the game – the middle game and the ending. Solve puzzles and tactics. There are so many great online platforms that have a lot of study material for you to train with. There are also amazing super tournaments happening that you can follow and there’s always commentary that you can learn a lot from. I think the most important is to play a lot online; to play a lot of blitz and bullet, and have fun with that.
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Chess in 60 Seconds with Tania Sachdev
Indian chess player Tania Sachdev is on the top of her game and holds the titles of International Grandmaster and Women’s Grandmaster.
Do you play chess online? Is it different from playing on the board?
I do play online sometimes but not very regularly. And yes, it is a completely different animal from over the board chess. I really miss over the board chess. But this is a really good time to get better at online chess, which is quite fun but not the same adrenaline.
Can you suggest some books and reading material to help me improve my game?
Thinking Inside The Box (by Jacob Aagaard) and The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (by Jonathan Rowson).
What sports do you love to play beside chess?
Table tennis and badminton. But I would say I’m around 1500 in both of them, which is pretty bad.
What is your all-time favourite opening move?
I don’t have a favourite opening move. But I do have a favourite end move, and it’s called checkmate.
2 min
Tania Sachdev: Chess strategy in a tricky position
We deep-dive into the mind of Indian chess player and Red Bull athlete Tania Sachdev as as she comes up with a strategy to win while she’s in the middle of a game and in a tricky position.
What's your biggest inspiration? How do you stay motivated?
For me, the most beautiful and inspiring thing in the whole world is life itself. I have this very strong hunger and desire for knowledge – to learn, to grow – and for experience and adventure. And I think that’s what keeps me motivated and inspires me to push my own boundaries. So I think just the feeling of being alive is very inspiring.
What has been the most memorable moment of your chess career?
It’s very hard to think of one most memorable moment – there have been so many of them. I think every good tournament is a special memory and stays with me for a very long time. But I think the extra special ones are the tournaments where I have represented India and had a podium finish. So winning medals for the country is definitely the biggest high.
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