Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi celebrates her birthday

Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi is a pioneering figure in Indian chess, best known for being the first Indian woman to achieve the titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and International Master (IM). A six-time National Women’s Champion, she was instrumental in putting Indian women’s chess on the global map during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Her most significant international contributions came at the Chess Olympiads, where she won two individual silver medals (2000 and 2002), more than any other Indian female player at the time. Hailing from a prominent chess family in Chennai, Vijayalakshmi was coached by her father and broke through at a time when resources for the sport were scarce. Send your wishes.