Sarayu Velpula: The Tier-2 Girl Who Forced The Global Chess Circuit To Look Her Way

Sarayu Velpula’s journey did not begin in an academy where children are trained from the age of five. It began in Warangal, a quiet city in Telangana, where dreams often face a lack of resources long before they take shape. She first picked up a chessboard at ten, out of innocent curiosity and not ambition. But something about the game caught her the silence, the fact that every move was entirely hers.

No big city coaching, no sponsors waiting in line, and no easy access to tournaments. She pushed anyway. By the time the rest of the world noticed her, she had already spent years fighting financial roadblocks and the weight of competing against players with better exposure.

Today, she stands as India’s 26th Woman Grandmaster not because the path opened for her, but because she broke it open herself.

Growing Up With More Persistence Than Privilege

Sarayu was born in 2006, far from the mainstream of chess. Her early strength wasn’t talent alone but a level of patience and discipline. She studied the game relentlessly, often training without the luxury of strong partners.

According to ChessBase India, she became the National Under 13 Girls Champion in 2019, then continued her podium streak with runner-up finishes at the National Under 17 Girls Championship 2023 and the 38th National Junior Girls Championship 2024.

In 2023, at the Pontevedra Masters Open in Spain, Sarayu walked in as one of the lowest-rated players. She walked out with a result that shook the field. Scoring 6.5 out of 9, she completed three norms in one event  WIM, WGM, and IM, a feat most players take years to achieve.

Her performance rating soared to 2575. Suddenly, a girl from Warangal, who had quietly fought for every opportunity, had forced the global chess world to pay attention.

What It Took To Get Here

Behind the medals and numbers lies a different story, one of constant sacrifice. International tournaments meant expenses her family had to stretch themselves to cover.

Training meant managing school, travel, and exhaustion. Being from a small town meant fewer sponsors, fewer elite opponents, and a lot more self-dependence.

Her coach, N Krishna Teja, a former chess player himself, often talks about her ability to stay steady even when everything around her was uncertain.

Reaching the Grandmaster Stage

In 2025, Sarayu earned her final WGM norm at the First League of Central Serbia, officially becoming India’s 26th Woman Grandmaster. With a peak rating over 2440 and an IM norm, she now stands at the beginning of a much larger climb.

More Than a Chess Story

What makes Sarayu’s journey powerful is that it cuts through stereotypes. She didn’t come from privilege, and she didn’t wait for perfect conditions. She built her own.

Her story matters because it tells young girls everywhere, especially those outside metro cities, that their dreams don’t have to die just because the world around them is small.

Sarayu Velpula didn’t just rise through Indian chess. She rewrote the rules of who gets to rise.

Views expressed by the author are their own.