Vaishali's remarkable win

Until a few years ago, India had only one name to be proud of in the world of chess- Viswanathan Anand. Today, many young Indian players, both men and women, are making their mark at the highest level. The latest among them is R. Vaishali, who recently won the women’s title at the Candidates Chess Championship held in Limassol, Cyprus. The Candidates Championship is a tournament to decide who will challenge the current world champion. Eight of the world’s best players compete in this event, and the winner earns the right to face the world champion.

Despite starting as ninth in the ratings, Vaishali defeated several top players to achieve the biggest success of her career. She had narrowly missed qualification in the previous Candidates, but this time she secured the title. She is the first Indian woman to win the Candidates tournament. Vaishali, who has brought pride to India along with her brother R. Praggnanandhaa, will now face China’s Ju Wenjun in the World Championship later this year. It is a proud moment that Indian players will compete in both the men’s and women’s World Championships in the same year. In the men’s section, reigning world champion D. Gukesh will represent India.

Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa come from a modest family in Tamil Nadu. They began their journey in chess with the support of their mother and went on to become global stars. The guidance and encouragement of Viswanathan Anand played a major role in shaping their careers. In recent years, young talents like D. Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Arjun Erigaisi, Pranav Venkatesh, Nihal Sarin, SL Narayanan, and Divi Bijesh have contributed greatly to the rise of Indian chess. India’s strong performance in recent years includes winning gold in both the men’s and women’s categories at the Chess Olympiad held in Hungary, Gukesh becoming the youngest world champion, and Koneru Humpy winning the World Rapid Championship, all in 2024.

Last year also saw achievements like World Cup successes by players including Divya Deshmukh and Divi Bijesh, and Pranav Venkatesh winning the World Junior Championship. Vaishali’s achievement is expected to inspire more young players to take up chess. Kerala also has many talented chess players who are performing well internationally. To support them, there should be better facilities in schools, libraries, and city centres. Although chess itself is not an expensive sport, reaching the international level requires costly training and coaching. Both the government and private sponsors need to provide greater support to help players succeed.