Decorated chess player Tania Sachdev expressed her disappointment with the Delhi government on Monday, alleging a lack of support for chess players in the state. Tania highlighted how support from other state governments has propelled their players to achieve great success in chess and revealed that she has received no recognition for her Olympiad victories in 2022 and 2024.
“Having played for India since 2008, it’s disheartening to see a lack of recognition from the Delhi government for achievements in chess. States that support and celebrate their champions directly inspire excellence and motivate talent. Sadly, Delhi has yet to take this step,” Tania said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“In the 2022 Chess Olympiad, I came back with a historic team bronze and an individual medal. Two years later, in 2024, the historic Chess Olympiad gold, and to date, there has been no acknowledgement or recognition by the state govt,” she wrote, urging the ruling Aam Aadmi Party to “see value in supporting their chess players.”
In the 2024 Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Tania Sachdev played a pivotal role in the Indian women’s team’s triumph, securing their first-ever gold medal in the event. Tania, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the winning team, had highlighted that the Olympiad double could prove to be a watershed moment for Indian chess. The seasoned campaigner, who enjoys commentary when not playing, also played a key role in India’s bronze medal-winning campaign in 2018.
Tania’s comments come just days after the Tamil Nadu government announced a prize of Rs 5 crore for Gukesh Dommaraju, who won the World Chess Championship in Singapore in December. Gukesh was also felicitated by the state government in a grand ceremony. Tamil Nadu has been a strong backer of chess talent in the state, with the 2022 Chess Olympiad hosted in Chennai after Moscow was stripped of the hosting rights.
India’s first World Champion, Viswanathan Anand, spoke about the support for chess from the Tamil Nadu government during the felicitation ceremony. The state has produced two World Champions (Anand and Gukesh) and 31 Grandmasters so far.
“The promising talents here get immediate support right from the grassroots. I have had the privilege of working with Gukesh for the last four years and am happy to have played a small part in this,” Anand said.
