Vaishali wins Candidates, to face Ju Wenjun

R Vaishali has won the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates tournament and secured her place to challenge Ju Wenjun for the world title later this year. The 24-year-old sealed the victory with a crucial final-round win, finishing half a point ahead of her closest rival.

Vaishali delivered a composed and clinical performance with the white pieces against Kateryna Lagno in the last round. Starting as the lowest-rated player in the field, she completed a remarkable turnaround to claim the top spot, echoing underdog success stories in recent chess history.

She improved on her previous Candidates performance, where she finished joint second with 7.5 points. This time, she added an extra point to her tally and emerged as the outright winner, marking a significant leap in her career.

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R Vaishali seals historic win, earns shot at world title against Ju Wenjun

Her coach RB Ramesh praised her composure, noting that she handled pressure moments with great maturity. Vaishali maintained control throughout the final game, converting her early advantage into a decisive win with precise moves.

Vaishali also benefited from a crucial result elsewhere, as Divya Deshmukh held Bibisara Assaubayeva to a draw. With Assaubayeva tied on points before the final round, this result ensured Vaishali’s victory became decisive.

Her journey to the Candidates itself was dramatic. After a disappointing performance at the Chennai Grand Masters, she considered skipping the Grand Swiss. However, encouragement from her brother R Praggnanandhaa and Karthikeyan Murali pushed her to compete, eventually leading to her qualification and triumph.

Now, Vaishali turns her focus to the Women’s World Championship, where she will face one of the strongest players in the game. Having stepped out of her brother’s shadow, she has established her own identity and now prepares for the biggest challenge of her career.

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