The Undefeated Queens – 10 Indian Female Chess Players You Should Know

Every time you think of chess and India, Vishwanathan Anand is the name that comes to mind. But here are 10 Indian female chess players you need to know of!

Every time you think of chess and India, Vishwanathan Anand is the name that comes to mind. But here are 10 Indian female chess players you need to know of!

Indian women are capable of ruling the world and it is very evident from their achievements. In fact, it should be a lesson for everyone who sees a girl’s worth to be lower than that of a guy. If you let your children fly, they WILL soar high. No matter what field they are in, there is hope for women who want to rule the world! And these female chess players are just proving it.

Here are ten Indian women chess players who are changing the face of the chessboard, one box at a time!

Koneru Humpy

She is one of India’s greatest female chess players. At 32, she is the current World Rapid Chess Champion and the youngest woman to have ever achieved the title of a Grandmaster in 2002.

With a number of awards to her name, Koneru Humpy also has both the Arjuna Award and the Padmashree Award!

Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi

Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi has the greatest number of medals in the Chess Olympiads in India. She holds The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) titles- International Master and Woman Grandmaster. And is the first Indian woman to have achieved those titles.

She is also an Arjuna Awardee and has won numerous awards in almost every age group.

Bhakti Kulkarni

Bhakti Kulkarni is an Indian female chess player who ranks 51. She has a Commonwealth Women’s Gold in chess as well. In 2016, this Indian chess grandmaster won the Asian Chess Women’s Championship. She has several accolades to her name including two bronze medals in the Women’s Asian Team Chess Championship.

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IM Nisha Mohota

IM Nisha Mohota won the 41st National Women Challengers Chess Championship in 2014. She is a former National Women Premier Champion from the petroleum Sports Promotion Board. And became India’s youngest International Woman Master (WIM) in 1995 and India’s fourth Woman Grand Master (WGM) in 2003.

Padmini Rout

She is four-time National Women’s Premier title holder consecutively from 2014 to 2017. Padmini holds the titles of International Master and Women Grandmaster. She has also been awarded with the Biju Patnaik Sports Award in 2007 and the Ekalavya Award in 2009.

Tania Sachdev

She is an Indian female chess player who holds many accolades. Tania is now an active chess presenter and commentator. She has been awarded the Arjuna Award. And also holds the titles of International Master and Woman Grandmaster.

Eesha Karvade

A chess player based in Pune, Eesha holds the titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. She played for India in the Chess Olympiads of 2010, 2012 and 2014. Currently, she is one of the top ten female chess players in the country.

Soumya Swaminathan

Soumya holds the title of Women Grandmaster from India. She won the World’s Junior Girls Championship in 2009 held in Peurto Madryn, Argentina. In the years 2005, 2006 and 2008, she was India’s Junior Girls’ Champion. And in 2012, became the Commonwealth Women’s Champion in Chennai.

Aarthie Ramaswamy

She is Woman Grand Master and is the national champion of the year 2003. In 1990, she took 2nd place in the India under-10 girls championship and in 1999, she won the girls’ under-18 world championship, held in Oropesa, Spain. Currently, she is one of the best trainers and managers in the country.

Kruttika Nadig

Kruttika Nadig is a chess player from Maharashtra, India. She won the title of Woman Grandmaster and the Indian National Women’s Championship in 2008. Nadig competed in the Women’s World Chess Championship 2010. She is now a well known entrepreneur based in Pune.

Women in sports is a sight that a lot of people have not gotten used to and these women change the norms everyday. These women in chess are winners in more sense than one.

Picture credits: Pexels

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