How did Sachi Jain turn years of near misses into the WIM title?
Sachi Jain recently achieved the Woman International Master title at the Budapest Spring Festival 2026. She secured her first norm at the 13th GM Mix Tournament in Serbia in January 2026. She then scored 4.5/9 at the 3rd Kumania Round Robin Tournament in Hungary to earn her second norm, and repeated the same score at the Budapest Spring Festival to complete her third and final norm. With this achievement, Sachi became the second Woman International Master from Delhi after a gap of 24 years. For nearly two years, she came painfully close to achieving her norms, missing them by the narrowest of margins. How did she finally break through and achieve the WIM title? Read her inspiring journey to find out. Photo: Payal Bansal Jain
A holiday that changed everything!
My chess journey began quite unexpectedly in 2018 when I was nine years old. During a family vacation that year, my father first introduced me to the chessboard and showed me how to set up the pieces. When we returned home from the trip, he gave me his old chessboard from his childhood and asked me to set it up myself. Surprisingly, I managed to arrange the entire board correctly on the very first attempt. That small moment sparked my curiosity and fascination with the game.
Soon after, I started participating in school and local chess tournaments. What began as a fun activity slowly grew into something much more meaningful: a passion that would eventually shape my journey in chess!
Early success and breakthrough moments
Over the years, I have been fortunate to achieve several results at both national and international levels. My first major breakthrough came in 2019 at the Western Asian Youth Chess Championship, where I won Gold in Rapid and Blitz and Bronze in the Classical section. Here is a list of my biggest achievements:
Year | Tournament | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
2019 | National School Under-10 Championship | Silver |
2021 | National Under-12 Championship | Gold |
2021 | National School Under-13 Championship | Silver |
2021 | Asian School Under-13 Championship | Silver |
2021 | National Amateur Championship | Bronze |
2022 | National School Under-13 Championship | Gold |
2022 | National Under-13 Championship | Silver |
2023 | National Amateur Women Below 2300 Championship | Silver |
2024 | Western Asian Youth Chess Championship Under-20 | Gold |
2024 | Western Asian Youth Chess Championship Under-16 | Bronze |
At the state level, I have also been fortunate to become a nine-time State Champion. Each tournament has been an important learning experience and has helped shape my growth as a player.
The backbone of my journey: My family
Behind every tournament result lies the constant support of my family. Since competitive chess requires frequent travel, one of my parents usually accompanies me to tournaments so that I can fully focus on my games. In order to support my chess career and travel with me for tournaments, my father made the difficult decision to leave his job. His sacrifice has played a huge role in my journey. My younger sister (Aadhya Jain) is also a chess player and has always been one of my biggest emotional supports. Whenever I face difficult moments in my chess career, she is the first person I call. When I travel with my mother for tournaments, my sister often stays back at home with my father. In many ways, she too has quietly made sacrifices while supporting my journey.
Two years of near misses: The road to the WIM title
The journey to the Woman International Master (WIM) title was not easy. For nearly two years, I came very close to achieving my norms several times, missing them by just half a point on multiple occasions. Those moments were frustrating and naturally created a lot of pressure whenever I played tournaments where a norm was possible. However, over time, I realized that constantly thinking about the norm was only adding more pressure. The real solution was to focus on playing good chess rather than chasing the result. Once I changed my mindset and concentrated on playing my best game in every round, things began to improve. Instead of worrying about the final result, I started enjoying the battle on the board and focusing on the quality of my play.
Finally, after years of effort, learning, and persistence, I achieved my third WIM norm and completed the Woman International Master title at the Budapest Spring Festival 2026. This moment was even more special for me as it made me only the second Woman International Master from Delhi after a gap of 24 years. That moment felt incredibly meaningful because it represented not just a title but the perseverance, struggles, and lessons learned throughout the journey.
Games that shaped my journey
Throughout my chess career, there have been several games that have taught me valuable lessons about strategy, resilience, and fighting spirit. Below are some of the games that have been particularly important in my journey.
Gratitude and acknowledgements
As I reflect on my journey so far, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to K.R Mangalam World School, Vikaspuri, for constantly encouraging and supporting my chess career. I would also like to thank my coaches, family, and friends who have supported and motivated me throughout this journey. Their belief and guidance have played a very important role in helping me grow both as a chess player and as a person.
As I continue my journey in professional chess, I am also actively seeking scholarships and sponsorship opportunities that can help support my participation in international tournaments and further development in the sport.
About the author
Sachi Jain is a 17-year-old Indian chess talent from Delhi and the second woman from the city to earn the title of Woman International Master (WIM). She has represented India in several international tournaments and has consistently competed at a high level. Alongside her chess career, she is currently pursuing her Class 12 studies in the science stream, successfully balancing both academics and chess while excelling in each.