Ali Thameem
Young Maldivian chess player Isra Aara Ibrahim Shafeeu has earned the recognition of FIDE, the world governing body of the game, for her victory at the Eastern Overall Qualification of its Princesses’ Tournament 2025.
The Princesses’ Tournament, organized by a FIDE commission, is a blitz chess tournament for young, unrated female chess players.
On 22 September 2026, the Commission held its 2026 meeting during the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan, where FIDE announced that “Isra Aara Ibrahim Shafeeu of the Maldives was recognized as the 2025 East Winner”, stated FIDE on its website.
Aara’s trophy was received by the delegation of the Maldives Chess Association, who were in Uzbekistan to represent Maldives at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.
The edition of the Eastern Princesses’ qualification which Aara competed in, attracted 102 players. The tournament as a whole brought together an online contingent of participants from 121 countries. The event provided young female chess players with an opportunity to compete internationally through an online FIDE competition.
“Considering her age and how much she is actually present in chess, her performance is great. She does not use much of her time, yet performs so well for her age”, stated WFM Nuha Rilwan, with whom Aara played for the AIS team in interschool chess.
Following her first-place finish in the Eastern qualifiers, Aara made it to the U11 Princesses’ Tournament finals, where she secured second place. The U11 category, which Aara competed in, saw chess players from India, Maldives and Sri Lanka. First place was secured by Hima Srinika Alla of India, and R. M. Sayuni Suhansa Rajakaruna of Sri Lanka ended in third.
Aara’s breakthrough in chess involves all the important parts of what it takes to transform from a prodigy to an established athlete. She had started learning chess as a toddler, which is the ideal time to integrate the concepts of chess into the mind. On top of the individual experience, Aara has been competing in over-the-board local tournaments for the past three years.
At the Kellogg’s National Junior Chess Championship 2023, she competed in the Under-10 Girls category, representing the Maldives. At the Interschool tournament in 2024, Aara finished 1st in the Under-12 category and 2nd in the Under-20 category.
Just as in chess, Aara is also a rising athlete on the tennis court. On the ATF Junior Tennis circuit, Aara had represented Maldives in her age category on multiple occasions. As of April 2026, Aara was ranked the U12 Girls’ singles No. 9 in Asia and No. 2 in South Asia.
With her victory in the U11 Princesses’ Tournament finals, the 12-year-old is already making her mark on the international chess community. Aara’s progress in chess, as in tennis, will be one to watch as she grows up with such potential in both the sports.
