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Savitha, 19, was one of India’s standout performers at the 24th Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan. In her first appearance at the event, she finished unbeaten with eight wins and two draws, according to The Hindu’s profile. Her run helped India’s women’s team reach the podium, while her individual performance earned her gold on the reserve board.
The result was a significant milestone in a career that had already included age-group and rapid-chess success. Savitha won the World Cadets under-12 title in 2018 and took bronze at the World Rapid Championship in 2022.
Savitha first became interested in chess at the age of four after watching her older brother, Mugesh, play. Her father, Krishnan Baskar, initially underestimated the financial demands of supporting a young competitive player. As travel and tournament costs mounted, he left his electrical technician job in Singapore to back her career.
The family later faced difficult choices, including pledging gold jewellery to finance tournament trips. Her brother stepped away from chess to focus on academics, according to the profile. Baskar has since called for more support to help his daughter continue progressing at the highest level.
Savitha’s early coach was the late K. Thirukkalathy, who taught her the fundamentals. She now trains under Grandmaster R.B. Ramesh, whose work with players includes game analysis, middle-game and end-game preparation, and psychological support.
Women’s team captain Swayams Mishra praised Savitha’s ability to recover from difficult positions and keep fighting for the team. Savitha, in turn, credited the support of senior teammates including Koneru Humpy, R. Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal for helping her settle into her first Olympiad.
One of the key moments in Savitha’s campaign came when she was rested for India’s match against Poland, which the team lost. She said she accepted the captain’s decision, noting that Vantika Agrawal had been in good form. Her comments reflected a team-first approach despite her own strong run in the tournament.
With the Olympiad breakthrough adding valuable experience and rating points, Savitha will look to build on the performance as she continues her development on the international circuit.
