Bhubaneswar: Woman Fide Master Saina Salonika added one more feather to her crown by clinching the Woman International Master (WIM) title in the I.M. Mix tournament held at Novisad, Serbia.
In order to win the WIM title, one has to secure 3 WIM norms in three different tournaments and cross the International Rating of 2200. Saina got her first WIM norm in the Goa International GM tournament in June 2019, followed by her 2nd WIM norm in Orbis IM Round Robin Tournament held at Paracin, Serbia in December 2019.
Saina Salonika was unable to play for last two and half years due to the Covid -19 pandemic. She has already crossed the international rating of 2200 earlier as her highest rating was 2206. Before the tournament Saina’s rating was 2184 and she gained 24 rating points in the tournament making her rating 2208.
Till now, Saina has bagged 20 International medals which include 13 gold medals in the World Youth Chess Championship, Commonwealth Chess Championship, Asian Youth Chess Championship and ASEAN Chess Championship.
Saina Salonika’s most coveted achievement is becoming the World Champion in her Age group i.e U-10 Girl category in the year 2013 at All Ain, UAE. She also got two Gold Medals and one Silver medal in the Commonwealth Chess Championship and three Gold Medal in Asian Youth Chess Championship earlier for her multifarious talents she received the National Child Award for exceptional Achievements from the President of India in the Darbar Hall of Rastrapati Bhavan in November 2014 and also received the ‘Mun Hero Mu Odisha’ award from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a function at Balasore in 2019.
Ms Kalinga