Sahithi Varshini Becomes First Woman WGM from Visakhapatnam

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Wednesday, 16 September 2026

Sahithi Varshini from Visakhapatnam has gained an important professional recognition by qualifying for her third and last Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm at the IM VII Round Robin competition in Serbia, thereby meeting all the necessary requirements of becoming a Woman Grandmaster.

Sahithi turned out to be the silver medalist with six points out of nine rounds with the performance rating of 2408. Wins from the players like IM Neelash Saha and Vedant Panesar helped her gain additional recognition. The nineteen years old player’s accomplishment demonstrates an overall success history of competing in international tournaments and performing consistently well.

Key Highlights:

• Sahithi Varshini earns her third WGM norm in Serbia
• She becomes the first woman WGM from Visakhapatnam
• Sahithi targets the GM title after strong global performances

As part of the Juraflora International Chess Tournament conducted in France, she competed with four International Masters (IM) and one Grand Master (GM), winning the award for the Best Woman Player.

In yet another tournament in the year 2026 in the Kanizsa Open, Hungary, she was able to score five points out of nine games with an Elo performance rating of 2429 and obtained her second WGM norm. Her wins over GM Yeshaayahu Tzidkiya (2492) and IM Sahib Singh (2354) were examples of her success against strong competition owing to constructive and proper strategies with consistency in international competitions.

Sahithi has already set up herself professionally in the game of competitive chess by securing the Women International Master title. She has also received recognition for being the first female chess player from Visakhapatnam who holds the Women Grandmaster title, making a historic achievement in women’s participation in this sport.

Sahithi has established a formidable competitive profile with accomplishments ranging from junior level successes to international level representation. Among these accomplishments are victories in the Asian Under-10 and Under-12 championships, as well as a gold medal win at the Commonwealth Under-10 championships.

As a constant pillar of support, her father and coach M. Lokeswara Rao has been instrumental in shaping Sahithi’s career in chess. He gided her since childhood and trained her to become a player capable of competing at national and international platforms.

“The WGM title marks another significant milestone in Sahithi Varshini’s chess journey and a new beginning towards greater heights,” the proud father said.

He further added, “As a WGM, Sahithi will continue her international chess journey with the ambition of achieving the prestigious Grandmaster (GM) title and reaching even greater heights in the world of chess.”

Sahithi also gained experience representing India at the Chess Olympiad, participating in one of the leading competitive events in chess. Continued involvement in such competitions has allowed her to compete against highly skilled individuals, providing her with an excellent opportunity to further develop her strategic abilities.