Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi, the first Indian woman to earn both the International Master (IM) and Women’s Grandmaster (WGM) titles, believes India has firmly established itself as the world’s leading chess nation and is only poised to become stronger in the years ahead.

The 47-year-old chess pioneer reflected on India’s remarkable rise in the sport and credited Chennai for playing a pivotal role in laying the foundation of the country’s chess revolution. According to her, the journey began with India’s first International Master Manuel Aaron, followed by Viswanathan Anand, the nation’s first Grandmaster, and later herself as India’s first Woman Grandmaster — all hailing from the same city.

“We are the strongest chess-playing nation in the world today, and I believe we are only going to become stronger,” Vijayalakshmi said. “Within India, Chennai remains the biggest centre of competition and talent. It all started with Manuel Aaron, Vishy Anand and then me, all from Chennai.”

She pointed out that the city continues to produce world-class talent, citing reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa and his sister Vaishali as examples of the thriving chess culture that has developed over the decades.

“It is like a crop that keeps growing continuously,” she remarked. “But this growth did not happen overnight. It came because players such as Vishy, myself and many others laid the groundwork during the early years. The foundation was built strongly, and that made it easier for the next generation to take the game forward.”

Looking back on her own career, Vijayalakshmi admitted there is still one achievement she would have loved to accomplish — earning the full Grandmaster title. She revealed that she came agonisingly close, achieving four men’s Grandmaster norms but narrowly missing the required rating mark.

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“It’s so near yet so far,” she said. “I don’t know how many players have managed to achieve four GM norms and still miss out. I was one of those people. I fell short by just two rating points. Had I crossed that mark, I would probably have become one of the earliest Indian women to achieve the men’s Grandmaster title as well.”

Despite the disappointment, she described her journey in chess as deeply fulfilling and indicated that the dream of becoming a Grandmaster is still alive.

“Of course, having that GM title would have added something special to my career. But I still believe I can achieve it. I am thinking seriously about returning to competitive chess, and hopefully over the next few years I can make another attempt,” she said.

Vijayalakshmi also spoke about the emotional reasons behind stepping away from the game at the peak of her career. She recalled the devastating impact of losing her father, who was not only her parent but also her coach and mentor.

“My father passed away on August 15, 2007, and it became almost impossible for me to return to chess after that,” she said. “The memories were simply too overwhelming. It was one of the most difficult periods of my life, and I couldn’t imagine stepping back into the chess world.”

She revealed that she stayed away from the game for nearly three years because of the emotional burden associated with returning to tournament venues.  “Even when I was invited as a chief guest to chess events, entering a chess hall would bring back so many memories that I would start crying. It was extremely painful for me.”

Turning her attention to the present generation, Vijayalakshmi expressed confidence that Indian women’s chess is on the verge of another historic breakthrough. She backed Vaishali, the first Indian woman to win the Women’s Candidates Tournament, to go all the way and capture the world title.

“Gukesh has already become world champion and is now the youngest world champion in the history of chess. That is an extraordinary achievement,” she said. “Now Vaishali has qualified for the World Championship, and I am eagerly waiting for her to win the title as well.”
“If that happens, India will have both the men’s and women’s world champions at the same time. That would be a truly special moment for Indian chess and a reflection of how far the country has come.”