S Vijayalakshmi became India’s first WGM

Today in History | July 24, 2001

Ruling the world of Chess, Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman or 'Viji' as she is known, is not just India’s first Woman Grand Master but also the nation’s first female International Master (IM).

Four-time national champion Vijayalakshmi had three WGM standards and two IM standards (in men). She has won more medals for India than any other player in the Chess Olympiads. She has won almost all national age group titles, including the senior ones.

Born in Madras (Chennai), this extraordinary woman was making swells from a young age. Her first tournament was the Tal Chess Open in 1986. In 1988 and 1989, she won the Indian championship in the U10 girls category. She also won twice in the U12 category.

She finished second in the Madras 1995 Zone tournament. She won the Asian Zone tournament in Tehran 1997 and then in  Mumbai 1999. She became Commonwealth women's champion in Kolkata 1996 and again in Mumbai 2003.

Viji won the Indian Women's Championship in 1995 (Madras), 1996 (Kolkata), 1999 (Kozhikode), 2000 (Mumbai), 2001 (New Delhi) and 2002 (Lakhnau). She represented Indian National Team in the Women's Chess Olympiad 1998. At the 34th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul 2000, she received a silver medal and again in Bled 2002. She won the Leonardo di Bona Memorial in Cutro, Italy 2007. At the Qatar Masters in November 2014. Viji was able to draw against many good players like Sweircz, Chanda, Wen Yang, Gao Rui, Xu Jun and Harika.

She was awarded the Woman International Master (WIM) title in 1996 after the FIDE Zonal tournament in Chennai. In 2001, she became the first Indian to achieve the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She earned the title of International Master (IM) due to her phenomenal performance at the Chess Olympiad 2000. She is the first female Indian player to become IM. In 2006 in Kalamaria she achieved a Grandmaster norm, and also in 2007 for her victory in Cutro.

In the picture: The eldest Vijayalakshmi on the right, Meenakshi (centre) and the youngest Banupriya on the left

Her family has been Vijayalakshmi's biggest support. She learned Chess from her father. She married another Indian Grandmaster Sriram Jha in 2005. Both are the first GM couple of India and Elo-wise Viji is still the strongest in the nation. Interestingly, her two younger sisters, Subbaraman Meenakshi (WGM) and S. Bhanupriya are also chess players.

In 2001, she was bestowed with the prestigious Arjuna Award by the Indian government.