She Quit a ₹50 Lakh Job for Her Daughter’s Chess Dream;Now She’s Building a Chess Ecosystem in North India

Xtratime Webdesk: Nidhi Rohilla, chess began as a personal commitment to her daughter. But what started with a mother trying to create better opportunities for Shivika has gradually grown into a larger effort to strengthen the chess ecosystem in North India.

Nidhi walked away from a corporate career that paid around ₹50 lakh a year after realising that Shivika needed greater support to pursue chess seriously. Frequent tournaments, travel, coaching and exposure to stronger competition demanded time and commitment. For Nidhi, being there for her daughter became more important than continuing a successful professional career.

However, the challenges she encountered soon revealed a bigger picture. Finding quality practice, suitable tournaments and consistent competition was not easy for many young chess players. Nidhi began to understand that the problems Shivika faced were shared by several other aspiring players and their families. That realisation changed the direction of her journey.

Instead of limiting her efforts to her daughter’s career, Nidhi began working towards creating opportunities for a wider group of players. Through initiatives such as SR Chess Academy and Chess Coffee Connect, she has focused on bringing young chess enthusiasts together, improving access to practice and creating an environment where players can learn from one another.

The idea goes beyond simply producing champions. Strong players need regular competition, while developing youngsters need the right environment to make progress. Creating that ecosystem can be just as important as individual coaching.

Shivika has continued to make her own mark in the game, but her journey has also become the starting point for something much larger. Her mother’s decision to leave a lucrative corporate career has evolved into a mission to make chess more accessible and connected.

Nidhi’s story, therefore, is not simply about sacrifice. It is about turning one family’s challenge into an opportunity for an entire community of chess players to grow together.