Nineteen-year-old Swara Lakshmi Nair from Bengaluru has officially earned the prestigious WIM title, becoming only the second female player from Karnataka to achieve this remarkable milestone after Isha Sharma. She also becomes the first-ever Woman International Master from Bengaluru! 👏
Born in 2006, Swara’s inspiring journey to the WIM title was built on consistent international performances:
🏅 1st WIM Norm – Sardinia World Chess Festival, Italy (2025)
🏅 2nd WIM Norm – Grand Hotel Kielce Open, Poland (2025)
🏅 Final WIM Norm – Ptuj IM Tournament, Slovenia Chess Tour (May 2026)
She also secured an additional WIM norm at the Sardinia Festival 2026 and currently holds a live rating of 2219.
Some of Swara’s notable achievements include:
♟️ 5-time Karnataka State Champion across various age categories
🥉 Commonwealth U-20 Girls Bronze Medalist (2022)
🥇 Team Blitz Gold & 🥈 Team Rapid Silver at the Asian Youth Championship 2023 in Al Ain, UAE
🏆 Champion of the Below 1700 All India FIDE Rating Tournament, Bengaluru (2022) featuring 625 participants
KSCA appreciates Swara’s dedication, hard work, and commitment towards the game while successfully balancing academics and chess at the highest level.
We congratulate her parents, trainers FM Gahan MG, Sumukh Gaikwad, GM Stany, and everyone who supported her remarkable journey.
Wishing Swara Lakshmi Nair many more achievements ahead and success in her pursuit of the Woman Grandmaster title! 💐♟️
#KSCA #KarnatakaChess #SwaraLakshmiNair #WIM #WomenInChess #ChessIndia #Bengaluru #FIDE