The 'Indian Chess Queen' Padmini Rout turns 25
Padmini Rout started playing chess at the age of 9 years. However she rapidly improved her game and became National under-13 and Asian under-12 champion within 3 years after she learnt the game. She was introduced to the game by her father when she was in fourth standard. Padmini won National Women's Premier title four times consecutively from 2014-2017, she won Gold in Commonwealth in 2015 and she is the only Indian woman to have won individual Gold medal in Chess Olympiad history. She is always concerned about the environment. Padmini has been awarded with Biju Patnaik Sports Award for the year 2007 and she has also won Eklavya Award in 2009. Photo: Nongsha Angom
"I want to become a very strong chess player and Grandmaster soon, like that's my short term goal. Long term is, I want to become as strong as I can, to see my limit. It can be anything."
Achievements of Padmini Rout:
- Won her first National under-11 girls in 2005 at Nagpur and also won National under-13 girls in Kolkata.
- Individual Gold medal for reserve board in Women's in Tromso Olympiad 2014
- Gold medal in Asian Continental Women 2018
- Four-times consecutive National Women's Premier Champion (2014-2017)
- Gold in Blitz, Silver in both Rapid and Classical format in Asian Nations Cup 2014 for Team India
- Gold in Blitz, Silver in Rapid and Bronze in Classical format in Asian Nations Cup 2018 for Team India
- Gold in Asian under-12 girls and under-14 girls in 2006 and 2008 respectively.
- Gold in Asian Junior (under-20) girls in 2009 and Bronze in 2010.
- Gold in Commonwealth Women's in 2015.
- Gold in World Youth under-14 in 2008.
- Bronze in World Junior 2010.
- Bronze in Asian Continental Women's Blitz in 2017.
- Bronze in Asian Indoor Games in Rapid for Team India in 2017.
- Won National Junior girls in 2010.
- Biju Patnaik Sports Award for the year 2007.
- Winner of Eklavya Award in 2009.
For more videos of Padmini, check the playlist here
Some attacking games of Padmini Rout:
Padmini is a very strong attacking player. Here are some of the best game of hers:
Her biggest win was against former World number 13, GM Pavel Eljanov of Ukraine