Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:44am on 16 Sep 2025,Tuesday Sports
Indian Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu clinched her second consecutive FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss title in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, scoring 8/11 and edging Kateryna Lagno on tiebreaks. Her final round draw against Tan Zhongyi secured her spot in the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament. Vaishali’s journey from defeating Magnus Carlsen at 12 to earning multiple titles reflects her resilience and strategic brilliance. She becomes the only player to defend the Grand Swiss title and joins Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh in the Candidates. Leaders, including PM Modi, praised her achievement. Her brother Praggnanandhaa also qualified for the Open Candidates, marking a historic moment for Indian chess and the Rameshbabu siblings.
