The five -time world champion Viswanathan Anand had a surprising encounter at Chennai airport when he crashed into the Indian Grandmaster R Vaisali, fresh from the history of scripting in a large Swiss female Swiss. The 24 -year -old man returned home as the first Indian to successfully defend the prestigious title and added another gold chapter to Indian chess. Anand later shared a moment with a slight post on X (formerly Twitter) and evoked the admiration of fans who celebrated the crossing of roads between two generations of champions.
The triumph of Vaisali came after she held the former world champion of women tan zhongyi for a draw In the last round, which ensured her only lead in the tournament. The victory not only strengthened her back-to-back Grand’s Swiss crown after her first in 2023 on the island of Man, but also booked her seat for the next year’s tournament candidates. India will now be represented by three women at candidates, with Vaisali joining Humpym and Divy Destymukh, which means historical support for the growing presence of Earth in world chess.
“Only in Chennai. You randomly come across 2 times @fide_chess Grand Swiss winner at the airport … Welcome back @Chessvaishali,”
The win was even more unforgettable by the emotional gesture of Vaisali after the last round. She called her mother on the stage and handed her a champion trophy, a moment that captured the heart on social media. Her way to the title was built on a consistency, with six wins, four draws and only one loss through the event. This narrow edge in trouble above the Russian star Kateryna Lagno sealed the crown.
For Indian chess, Vaisali’s victory is a moment of basin. With his younger brother R Pragggnanandhaa, he is a leading candidate on the world scene, siblings are prepared together at the candidate tournament and chasing a shot at the world title. Success emphasizes the power of the next Indian generation, where women enter the center of attention along their male counterparts.
While the female event recorded Vaisali’s brilliance, the open section was dominated by the Dutch GM Anish Giri, who attacked a victory with eight points out of 11 rounds and ended before American Hans Niemann. German Matthias Bluebaum is about to join Giri to ensure the place of candidates from the Great Swiss.
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Published:
Debodinna Chakracorty
Published on:
September 17, 2025
