By Khushi Namdev
In a historic win, chess player Vaishali Rameshbabu secures the title at the Grand Swiss 2025 held at the Silk Road Expo in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. She sealed the victory against the former world champion, China’s Tan Zhongyi, after having to draw in the final round of the match.
Though Vaishali and Russian No.4 Kateryna Lagno finished at 8 points each, the 24-year-old Indian finished in 13th position and finished on top because she played against stronger opponents. As the top two were supposed to acquire the position through this tournament at the eight-player Candidates meet, Vaishali locked her spot in the same.
A couple of weeks before the Grand Swiss, while Vaishali was playing at the Chennai Challengers tournament, she finished 10th and last, which ultimately affected her ratings and cost her about 24 rating points. But the experience of playing in a mixed gender tournament and especially having her brother R.Pragnannda alongside gave her the push to prepare harder and compete with greater focus and determination.
India will have three women at the Candidates Meet, as Divya Deshmukh and K.Humpy have already sealed their positions after finishing as champion and runner-up at the Women’s World Chess Championships, respectively.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the player by extending his warm wishes on X and wrote about her extraordinary win. He praised the level of passion and dedication Vaishali endured for the sport and shared his heartfelt wishes for future endeavors.
The FIDE Grand Swiss chess tournament was established in 2019 and has since been known as the most prestigious tournament in the world of chess. Vaishali’s victory is exceptional and a significant milestone in her career, as she is the only player to win the honour consecutively, in 2023 and 2025, since the tournament’s commencement.