Vaishali’s Candidates victory is more than just an individual achievement, however. It has the potential to turn the focus on women’s chess in India, which, experts say, has already seen encouraging growth over the past four years or so. File photo
Earlier this month, grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu became the first Indian to win the Women’s Candidates and only the second Indian to qualify for the women’s World title clash, after Koneru Humpy. Experts say Vaishali’s triumph validated the fact that Indian women’s chess has made huge progress since 2022. But it still 'lacks the visibility and financial backing it deserves'.
Vaishali Rameshbabu delivers in big tournaments. It was no different earlier this month, when the 24-year-old made history, becoming the first Indian to win the Women’s Candidates in Pegeia, Cyprus. The eight-player tournament is organised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to pick the challenger for the Women’s World Chess Championship.
Vaishali clinched the crunch game against Kateryna Lagno in the last round to seal the title and take home the winner’s prize of 28,000 Euros.
Vaishali’s Candidates win makes her the second Indian, after 39-year-old Koneru Humpy, to qualify for the World title clash, expected to be held this year. Humpy had made it to the 2011 World Championship, where she had lost to defending champion Hou Yifan from China.
How did Vaishali become the second Indian to qualify for the Women’s World Chess Championship, if she is the first to win the Women’s Candidates. This is because Women's Candidates reverted to the tournament format in 2019. Humpy had qualified for the Women's World Championship match by finishing second in the Women's Grand Prix Series.
Vaishali’s Candidates victory is more than just an individual achievement, however. It has the potential to turn the focus on women’s chess in India, which, experts say, has already seen encouraging growth over the past four years or so.
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Among the many eyes that were focused on Vaishali as she made the winning move at the tournament — some at the venue, many more on television, or mobile/laptop screens — were those of 13-year-old Kavyasri Venkatesh. A student of class 8 at a Chennai school, Kavyasri has been playing chess for the past three years and “planning each tactic to use in the game, besides trying to predict how the game might go with each move” is her favourite part of the game.
For the future grandmaster aspirant, Vaishali’s game would, in all likelihood, have been as much about entertainment as picking up a move or two to try later.
Vaishali herself credits a combination of factors for her win. “I was fighting well in many tough positions and was resourceful… Ramesh sir [her coach, RB Ramesh] has played a huge role in this journey both on and off the board. I have been working with him since 2014,” says Vaishali, whose brother R Praggnanandhaa (better known as Pragg) is also a grandmaster and regarded as a "prodigy".
Others — like grandmaster Sundararajan Kidambi — point at Vaishali’s “persistence and self-belief at the right moments”.
Students at Chennai's T Nagar Chess Academy, which says it has seen enrolment among girls going up in the past year. Photo: By special arrangement
The question on many minds now is how much impact Vaishali's Candidates win will have on Indian women's chess.
According to an optimistic Aarthie Ramaswamy, woman rgandmaster, coach and co-founder of the training academy Chess Gurukul, “it would have a big impact”. Aarthie adds: “Already young girls are looking up to Vaishali as an icon. After Koneru Humpy, Vaishali is the next Indian woman chess icon.”
Founder of the Chennai-based T Nagar Chess Academy and coach AL Kasi echoes her opinion. “For young girls in India, seeing an Indian woman reach that level makes their dreams feel realistic and achievable. It sends a strong message that with dedication, proper coaching and family support, they too can compete on the world stage. I believe Vaishali’s success will inspire a new generation of girls to take up chess seriously, especially in Tamil Nadu, and also across India," says Kasi.
Those who follow the game in India would recognise that Vaishali’s triumph validates the fact that Indian women’s chess has made huge progress since 2022. Indian women won a medal (bronze) for the first time at the Chess Olympiad in Chennai in 2022. It was followed by Vaishali clinching the Women’s Grand Swiss title in the Isle of Man in 2023. Koneru Humpy, who has long been India’s top woman player, won the Women’s World Rapid title in New York in 2024. India winning the 2024 Women’s Chess Olympiad for the first time was a landmark achievement.
The year 2025 marked the arrival of Divya Deshmukh as a top women's player, picking up the Women’s World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. She outwitted compatriot Humpy in the summit clash to achieve her biggest success. This victory earned Divya her grandmaster title. Vaishali, meanwhile, retained her Women’s Grand Swiss title in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, last year. The victory fetched her a spot in the Women’s Candidates.
“India today stands among the top nations in women’s chess, second only to China, and is also an Olympiad-winning country. The current generation has delivered remarkable results. Divya Deshmukh has emerged as a World Cup winner, and Harika Dronavalli continues to perform at the highest level, having qualified for the Freestyle Chess World Championship. These achievements clearly show that Indian women’s chess is not just competitive, but among the best in the world,” says Abhijit Kunte, a chess grandmaster and former coach, Indian Women’s Team.
The recipient of the Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games adds: “Yet, despite these successes, women’s chess in India still lacks the visibility and financial backing it deserves. From an infrastructure and participation perspective, many talented young girls face challenges — limited access to structured training, fewer sponsorship opportunities, and uncertainty about long-term career stability. There is a gap between performance and recognition.”
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At the moment, India has four grandmasters among women players — Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali and Divya. Considering the tremendous chess growth the country has witnessed in recent years, experts believe it has the potential to produce more grandmasters in women’s chess in the next 10 years.
The growth in women’s chess in India owes much to competitions such as the Tata Steel India Women’s Rapid and Blitz tournament in Kolkata. This has helped Indian women to compete with the world’s best women players, which is important for the growth of women’s chess in the country. Vaishali (2022, Blitz title) and Divya (2023, Rapid crown) are the two Indians to have won titles in the City of Joy.
Now, Vaishali’s Candidates win should serve as a “wake-up call for Indian chess”, feels Kunte. “There is a clear need for greater investment in women’s chess — starting from grassroots talent identification, structured and high-quality training programs, better sponsorship support, more women-only tournaments, and stable job opportunities for players. Institutions like the All-India Chess Federation, along with corporates and government bodies, must work together to build a stronger ecosystem,” he says.
Parents and educational institutions play a role in encouraging girls to take up chess. Representational image. iStock
In the past year, Kasi says enrolment of girls at the T Nagar Chess Academy has gone up.
While coach and founder of the Chennai-based academy 64 Squares Chess SC Subramanian feels “girls' schools and women's colleges should take the initiative” in promoting chess among youngsters, Shabana Yasmin, whose 12-year-old daughter Ashna Shabana has been training at the T Nagar Chess Academy for the past two years, points to the role parents must play in “encouraging and motivating their daughters to take up chess”.
Agrees G Gayatri, Kavyasri’s mother. “Parents of boys keep a lookout for their talents from an early age and give them independence to prove their talent. Parents of girls hesitate to introduce their kids to sports. Chess can give girls confidence, empowerment, decision-making and problem-solving skills. Academic institutions and parents should support girls,” she explains.
Vaishali herself hopes that her win will “inspire more young girls to start playing and take up chess professionally”. The hope is shared by her 2024 Women’s Chess Olympiad teammate Vantika Agarwal and her coach. “Many girls took autographs from Vaishali during the Tamil Nadu State Chess Association’s felicitation function for her. I am optimistic of India having more strong female players in the future,” says Ramesh.
Kunte agrees that Vaishali’s recent success can inspire a new generation and bring renewed interest to women’s chess in India. “The key now is to utilise this moment effectively. With the right support and vision, India has the potential not only to produce world champions but to build a sustainable and thriving structure for women in chess,” he says.
Meanwhile, Kavyasri, who has started taking part in tournaments, has her eyes trained on a grandmaster title and aspires to represent the country in chess in the future.
“Vaishali is amazing and she brings pride to our country by winning the Women’s Candidates. She is an inspiration to each female chess player. Vaishali has shown that girls can achieve great things,” she says, her own eyes shining with dreams and determination.
(With inputs from Aprameya C)
