Happy Birthday to Woman Grand Master Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi

Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi is an Indian chess player who holds the FIDE titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (GM). She is the first female player in her country to achieve these titles. Let us wish her a very Happy Birthday. 

Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi was born on 25 March 1979 in Chennai. She learned the game of Chess from her father. Her first tournament was the Tal Chess Open in 1986. In 1988 and 1989 she won the Indian championship in the Under 10 girls’ category. Also, in the Under 12 category she won twice.

In 1996 in Kolkata, she became Commonwealth women’s champion, a title she won again in 2003 in Mumbai. Vijayalakshmi won the Indian Women’s Championship in 1995 (Madras), 1996 (Kolkata), 1999 (Kozhikode), 2000 (Mumbai), 2001 (New Delhi) and 2002 (Lakhnau). At the 34th Chess Olympiad in 2000 in Istanbul, she received a silver medal.

In 1996 she was awarded the Woman International Master (WIM) title. In 2001, she became the first Indian to achieve the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She also holds the title of International Master (IM), thanks to her results 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 2001 the Indian government gave her the Arjuna Award. 

-Staff Reporter