Vaishali aims for consistency, spot in Candidates Tournament

NEW DELHI: Indian chess Grandmaster R Vaishali has set her sights on delivering consistent performances and securing a place in the prestigious Candidates Tournament this year.

The 23-year-old has already achieved several career-defining milestones, including becoming only the third Indian woman to earn the Grandmaster title, playing a crucial role in India’s gold-medal-winning run at the Chess Olympiad, and securing a bronze medal at the World Blitz Championship.

“My main goal is to show consistent performance and play some good games,” Vaishali told PTI. “Of course, by the end of the year, I aim to qualify for the Candidates Tournament. I had the opportunity to play in the Candidates last year, and I hope to qualify for it again.”

The Women's Candidates Tournament determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship.

Reflecting on her bronze medal at the Blitz World Championship, Vaishali said the result was a major confidence booster after a series of disappointing tournaments.

“It was an important result for my confidence, especially because I had a few bad tournaments in a row, and it was nice to finally end the year with a good result.”

Despite her achievements, Vaishali also faced setbacks, losing valuable rating points. However, she sees these experiences as valuable lessons.

“I would say it was a mixed year. I achieved some good results, but I also lost some rating points. It was a very interesting experience,” she said. “I had the chance to compete in strong round-robin tournaments and participate in prestigious events like the Candidates, back-to-back challenges. Overall, last year was a great learning experience for me.”

Vaishali recently finished ninth in the Challenger section of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. She believes she could have secured a better position had she capitalised on her opportunities, a goal she is determined to achieve in future tournaments.

“Tata Steel is a strong tournament, and I think my performance was decent,” she said. “Surely, I could have scored a few more points. I had some good positions that I failed to convert, which I'll work on and try to improve. Going forward, I want to focus on showing more consistent performance.”

During the tournament, a viral clip showed Uzbek Grandmaster Nodirbek Yakubboev refusing to shake hands with Vaishali due to religious reasons. The incident gained attention, with chess legend Susan Polgar among those commenting on it.

“I didn’t know it was a big thing back in India. I was focused on the games and didn’t know what was going on in social media,” Vaishali said. “Later, I got to know, and okay, we all know what happened. It didn’t affect me in any way.”

Vaishali is now preparing for the Norway Chess Women tournament, scheduled to take place from 26 May to 6 June.

“Last year was a great experience. They’re introducing this women’s tournament alongside the main event. Personally, I really enjoyed playing in Norway because I got the chance to see the top players competing alongside,” she said.

“The format is also very different. They have the Armageddon format—if you draw in the classical game, you move on to the Armageddon game. I had never played that until last year’s Norway event, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Having her younger brother, Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, on tour has also been a huge advantage for Vaishali. She frequently seeks his advice, particularly on game strategies.

“He’s a strong player, so for me, it’s a great benefit to have him around. He’s also very passionate about the game. Whenever I have questions, I always go to him, and he’s very happy to discuss chess,” she said. “He’s a great support for me. Even in preparing some openings, I discuss them with him.”