Gurugram girl ranks no. 2 in India in U-16 chess

Kotia had travelled across Serbia for close to a month, playing three open tournaments in Paracin, Silver Lake and Nis.

City girl Tanishka Kotia ranks second in the country in the under-16 category, according to the World Chess Federation that released its latest rankings on August 1, a feat she accomplished after earning over 300 points in three back-to-back world open tournaments in Serbia in July.

International chess player Tanishka Kotia. She travelled across Serbia for close to a month in July, playing three open tournaments in Paracin, Silver Lake and Nis.

Kotia had travelled across Serbia for close to a month, playing three open tournaments in Paracin, Silver Lake and Nis. She played 27 rounds in total against several title-holding international players. She now ranks fifth in Asia and 19 in the world. She is the only chess player from the state to have made it to the top three in India in this category.

Kotia has been playing chess since the age of three. Her early start had landed her in the Limca Book of Records for being the youngest chess player in 2008. In 2014, she won silver at the Commonwealth Chess Championship in Scotland. In 2013, she won gold at the ASEAN chess championship, which made her a Woman FIDE Master. She has previously participated in tournaments in Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam, Scotland, Czech Republic and France.

For the 15-year-old student of Suncity School, striking a balance between studies and chess is crucial. She says she devotes one-and-a-half to two hours every day for chess practice.

“When exams are close, I lessen my time for chess but that is just for one or two days before the exam. Chess is like addiction, I can’t live a day without it,” she says, as her cupboard full of silver and gold plates trophies shines in the background in her Sector 30 living room.

Kotia’s next stop is the Junior World Championship in October in India. “I have got new books and am trying to master new techniques, so it is a lot of work till the championship,” she says. At the championship, she will compete against players across the world in 11 rounds.

Kotia started taking interest in chess because of her father, Ajit Kotia, who played the game at the college level. He then introduced her to the game and continues to be her mentor, though she has been receiving training from professional coaches.

Kotia is not associated with any chess federation or club. Her travel expense for tournaments is funded by her family or, sometimes, by her school, says her father. Her mother and sister had accompanied her through Serbia in July.

“Around the world, there are over 150 chess-playing nations and just 10-15 cricket-playing ones, yet there are more sponsors for cricket than chess,” says Ajit. He adds that Kotia initially received corporate sponsors, but is now without any.

For Kotia though, playing the game is all that matters, so that one day she can become a grandmaster like her idol, Vishwanathan Anand.