Chess: India`s R Vaishali becomes country`s third player to achieve this feat

Updated On: 16 September, 2025 12:39 PM IST | Sujay Shivalkar

Indian chess grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu has achieved a new feat in her career. Here is all you need to know (Pic: File Pic/X)

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Indian chess grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu has achieved a new feat in her career. Here is all you need to know (Pic: File Pic/X)

<p>India`s R Vaishali became the third Indian to qualify for the 2026 International Chess Federation (FIDE) Women`s Candidates tournament <em><strong>(Pic: File Pic)</strong></em></p>

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India`s R Vaishali became the third Indian to qualify for the 2026 International Chess Federation (FIDE) Women`s Candidates tournament (Pic: File Pic)

<p>She defended her FIDE Grand Swiss title in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. She finished with a total of eight points from 11 rounds, equal to Katryna Lagno, but secured a successful title defence on the basis of a tie-break <em><strong>(Pic: X/@FIDE_chess)</strong></em></p>

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She defended her FIDE Grand Swiss title in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. She finished with a total of eight points from 11 rounds, equal to Katryna Lagno, but secured a successful title defence on the basis of a tie-break (Pic: X/@FIDE_chess)

<p>Vaishali`s qualification to the Women`s Candidates tournaments comes after Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy made it to the event <em><strong>(Pic: X/@FIDE_chess)</strong></em></p>

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Vaishali`s qualification to the Women`s Candidates tournaments comes after Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy made it to the event (Pic: X/@FIDE_chess)

<p>Earlier in July, Divya had created history as she became the first Indian to win the Women`s World Cup 2025, defeating Humpy with a score of 2.5-1.5 in the tie-breaks in Batumi <em><strong>(Pic: File Pic)</strong></em></p>

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Earlier in July, Divya had created history as she became the first Indian to win the Women`s World Cup 2025, defeating Humpy with a score of 2.5-1.5 in the tie-breaks in Batumi (Pic: File Pic)

<p>In the Candidates tournament, she will earn the right to challenge China`s reigning five-time world champion Ju Wenjun for the Women`s World Chess Championship <em><strong>(Pic: File Pic)</strong></em></p>

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In the Candidates tournament, she will earn the right to challenge China`s reigning five-time world champion Ju Wenjun for the Women`s World Chess Championship (Pic: File Pic)

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Chess: India`s R Vaishali becomes country`s third player to achieve this feat

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