New Delhi
Marium Fatima from Bihar has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the state’s first Woman FIDE Master (WFM). At just 19 years old, she now holds a FIDE rating of 2083
To become a FIDE Master (FM), a player must achieve a FIDE Elo rating of 2300 or higher and have played at least 30 official FIDE-rated games.
Marium is a brilliant chess player from Bihar, Marium, belongs to Muzaffarpur. She has earned several accolades in the sport of chess.
Director General of Bihar State Sports Authority Ravindran Shankaran congratulated her for this achievement.Marium Fatima from Bihar has become the first Woman FIDE Master.
Marium Fatima from Bihar achieves a remarkable milestone by becoming the state’s first Woman FIDE Master (WFM).
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) September 18, 2025
Director General of Bihar State Sports Authority Ravindran Shankaran congratulates her on this feat.#FIDE #Chess #WFM #Bihar pic.twitter.com/6xy1WigRp7
Marium started her chess journey when she was in class 3 in the St. Xavier's Kindergarten in Muzaffarpur.
As her friends were going to participate in a chess tournament in the school, she too wanted to play. Her father gave her Rs 200 to pay the entry fees fees for the tournament.
Her father Imtayaz Ahmad, a chess lover in his younger days, bought chess board for his daughter. Marium’s initial coaching was from her school coach, and she took part in the event, and came 3rd.
The coming events were to change her life.
Marium Fatima with her father
After her first victrory, school coach Mr. Abhas asked her father to let his daughter play chess as she was a gifted child.
For two years, every Sunday morning, Marium's father would come home, pick Marium up, and drive her to Patna for coaching. Her coach Minhazul Hoda coached her rigorously.
Marium made rapid strides towards chess improvement. The youngster went on to win many under-7, under-9, under-17, and under-19 state championships and defeated many rated players as well.
Her father sacrificed a lot for continuing Marium’s coaching. During the Covid lockdown he brought her 50 books on Chess to practice At home.
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Kumar Gaurav, a good chess player from Bihar, trained Marium for quite a few years. Marium and her father met Kumar Gaurav in a tournament, and after learning about him, her father insisted he train Marium. Kumar Gaurav used to live 3–4 km from their home, so he home-trained her for nearly 3–4 years before the pandemic started.
