Chess | Swara Lakshmi is the second from Karnataka to become WIM

Karnataka’s Swara Lakshmi Nair.

Karnataka’s Swara Lakshmi Nair has become the second chess player from the State to achieve Women’s International Master (WIM) status.Isha Sharma was the first, and 19-year-old Swara Lakshmi is also the first WIM from the city of Bengaluru.Swara Lakshmi, a multiple-time State champion and a Commonwealth U-20 bronze medallist, scored her first norm at the Sardinia World Chess Festival in Italy in 2025.The second norm came at the Grand Hotel Kielce Open 2025 in Poland. The third and final norm was secured earlier this month at the Ptuj IM tournament in Slovenia.An extra norm was confirmed at the recent Sardinia Festival 2026, and Swara Lakshmi’s live rating is 2219.“I am very grateful and thankful to my trainers FM Gahan MG, Sumukh Gaikwad and GM Stany who made it possible,” Swara Lakshmi told ChessBase India.“I am grateful to Vagdevi Vilas School, Mount Carmel PU College, Bishop Cotton Women Christian College Bangalore, BPCL, and last but not the least, my parents.” Published - May 24, 2026 08:09 pm IST