Total Chess: Women vs Elite GMs? Vaishali responds with a win over So, Niemann as Carlsen strikes first

Vaishali Rameshbabu (Photo: FIDE) NEW DELHI: India’s Vaishali Rameshbabu made an early statement at the inaugural Total Chess Pilot in Budapest, scoring two massive victories against established elite grandmasters to answer one of the biggest questions of the tournament: how would women fare in a 24-player field filled with some of the world’s strongest players?Vaishali, one of only two women competing in the tournament, defeated American GM Hans Niemann in the opening round before overcoming four-time US champion Wesley So in the third round. The latter win was particularly eye-catching considering So’s recent form after winning the US Championship for the fourth time just two weeks earlier.The Indian grandmaster ended up finishing the nine-round blitz tournament with four points out of nine. While that score didn’t put her among the front-runners, her win against Niemann and So offered an encouraging sign of her ability to challenge the established names.With the competition now moving into a tougher group stage, Vaishali will have another opportunity to test herself against the elite. Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayev is the second woman in the 24-player field, and both will face tough tests in the coming days.

Carlsen sets the early pace with an unbeaten blitz triumph

While Vaishali delivered one of the most interesting stories of the night, Magnus Carlsen ensured that the inaugural tournament was his.The Norwegian world number one went on an unbeaten nine-round blitz to finish with seven points from nine to take an early lead in the opening Total Chess event.French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave finished second with 6.5 points, Armenian-American Levon Aronian took third place with six.Carlsen secured first place by defeating Armenia’s Haik Martirosyan in the final round with the black pieces. Vachier-Lagrave, meanwhile, could only manage a draw against Niemann, allowing the five-time world classic champion to finish clear on top.The victory was more significant than just another addition to Carlsen’s impressive collection of blitz titles. According to Total Chess’ unusual competition rules, the opening tournament has strategic importance even out of order.Final positions determine tiebreaker priority during the group stage, affect elimination pairings, and give higher-ranked players first color choice in knockout blitz games. Carlsen thus secured a potentially valuable advantage before the start of the main championship.India’s Arjun Erigaisi also threatened to challenge for the top spot after scoring impressive wins against Vachier-Lagrave and American GM Fabiano Caruana. However, his campaign suffered a setback in the final round when he lost to Aronian.Erigaisi finished on 5.5 points along with Alireza Firouzja, Caruana, Niemann and local favorite Richard Rapport. Rapport had already pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the evening when he defeated world No. 3 Caruana in the opening round.

The Fast Classic format provides a real test

The competition now moves to a new Fast Classic format on Wednesday, with all 24 participants divided into four groups of six.Games will be played with a time control of 45 minutes plus 30 seconds per turn. Unlike conventional scoring, a win will be worth three points, while a draw will earn each player one point.Carlsen headlines Group C, where he faces Dutch No.1 Anish Giri, his former Russian rival Ian Nepomniachtchi, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Martirosyan and 17-year-old Abhimanyu Mishra.Group B consists of Caruana, India’s R Praggnanandhaa, Vincent Keymer and Rapport.Vaishali and Assaubayeva will be in Group D, alongside Vachier-Lagrave, Erigaisi, Niemann and So. This makes it a particularly interesting group, especially after Vaishali’s opening round wins against two of her established names.Only the four group winners will advance to the main knockout group of the championship, although all 24 players will continue to fight for their final place.The $650,000 event is being organized as a pilot project for a proposed new world tour combining Fast Classic, rapid and blitz with the ambition to create a comprehensive benchmark of excellence across formats.