R Vaishali won Fide Grand Swiss for the second edition. (Figure: Fide) New Delhi: Grandmaster R Vaishali became the third Indian – after Divya Deshmukh and Humpa Koner – to qualify for the women’s candidates 2026 on Monday and won the Swiss Swiss in Samarkand in Uzbekistan for the second time in a row.A few weeks ago, in her home town Chennai, Vaishali had a nightmare.She played in the Challedmers section of Chennai Grand Masters, lost seven games in a row and ended up on the bottom of the ranking.“It might sound funny, but after Chennai I decided to play Grand Swiss,” Vaisali Chessbase India said after her last round in Samarkand. “After this performance in Chennai, I felt so bad, because, well, I got lost like seven games in a row straight for one week. And I think it was very difficult for me to recover.”
India GM Vaishali Rameshbaba with his mother and brother R Pragggnanandhaa, also Grand Master, presents for pictures after the Winter Grand Swiss 2025 (Fide/PTI) victory
At that moment, it needed more than just self -confidence, maybe gentle, but firm pressure from her family and loved ones. Her brother, GM Pragggnanandhaa, also played his role in his belief to play this year in the Great Swiss.“He always supported and this tournament also helped me in several games. My mom was still in the tournament hall, both followed. It is not easy, but my parents have always believed in me.”GM Srinath Narayanan, director of the Chennai Grand Masters tournament, could not help but admire the turn.“Vaisali won it for the second time in a row, it was incredibly nice to see,” Timesofindia.com said. “It was quite daunting to see that Vaisali had such a hard time in Chennai. But I’m really glad she turned it. I am glad that Pragg and her family convinced her. She always has the potential and character that bounced. And I think the Chennai tournament also brought in some way.”This latest comment may sound cryptically, but points to the strangest subplot of Vaisali’s success in Uzbekistan.
Indian GM Vaishali Rameshbabu (C) during the Felicitation ceremony after won the female Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand in Uzbekistan. (Figure: Fide/PTI)
In the Grand Swiss Vaishali ended up tied up on points with Kateryna Lagno and the winner decided the technical failure: the average rating of opponents (ARO). Vaisali’s ARO was 2434, Lagno 2433.Fate hit here.Vaisali’s disastrous run in Chennai cost it over 20 rating of points. That meant when her rivals faced her in Samarkand, her rating was slightly lower, which in turn reduced their own Aros.Thasirem mathematics for binding allowed Vaisali only to the edge of Lagno by a single point.Also read: “I tried to live like a man but I couldn’t”: the first trans-jacket player to get into WIM, now French female champions“The difference in the average evaluation of the binding disorder was only one point,” Srinath explained. “And Vaisali, who has lost this evaluation recently (during the Chennai tournament) also helped her. So it’s a funny story, but I think it’s always something positive to take from everything that happens.”Vaisali herself could only laugh about it later. “In a way, I think that’s why I won this tournament. But two weeks back, it was so painful to deal with it. Now I feel that every such experience is just strengthening you. So I’m also grateful for this experience.”
