Indian Grandmaster R. Vaishali shared that her recent FIDE Grand Swiss title win in Samarkand arrived at a critical time. She revealed that despite consistent effort to improve, the year had been “tough” and her performance hadn’t been going as planned.
Vaishali made history by becoming the first player to win this elite women’s event for a second consecutive time. Beyond the impressive $40,000 prize, her victory also secured her a coveted spot in the upcoming Candidates Tournament.
When asked to compare her 2023 victory with her latest triumph, Vaishali found it challenging to pick one over the other.
“In 2023, the Grand Swiss win felt perfectly timed. I hadn’t been playing well for a considerable period, and then many pieces just clicked into place,” she explained.
She added, “This year, too, hadn’t been easy. I was putting in immense effort, but the results just weren’t reflecting my hard work. This recent win is incredibly significant.”
Vaishali now joins Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy as the third Indian to qualify for the prestigious Candidates Tournament.
This tournament is crucial as it will determine who challenges Wenjun Ju of China for the next Women’s World Championship title.
“The past two years have provided a wealth of experience, filled with many challenging tournaments. I recall losing four games consecutively in the 2024 Candidates; moments like those have truly strengthened me, both as a chess player and as an individual,” Vaishali shared.
Leading up to this year’s Grand Swiss, the 24-year-old Chennai-based player had faced a significant dip in confidence.
Her struggles included scoring only 1.5 points in nine rounds at the Chennai Grand Masters tournament, following a quarterfinal loss to China’s Tan Zhongyi in the women’s World Cup.
Prior to these setbacks, she had also finished fifth in the six-player Norway chess women’s tournament in May.
“At my last tournament, the Chennai GM, I lost seven games – effectively a whole week of losses. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, but sometimes when I win, I feel unstoppable,” Vaishali commented.
She continued, “…after my loss to Bibisara (Assaubayeva from Kazakhstan), I’m genuinely pleased that I didn’t let it derail me. I managed to draw the next game and found my footing again,” she recounted, referring to an eighth-round loss during the recently concluded tournament.
With eight spots available in the women’s Candidates, seven have already been claimed. Alongside the Indian trio, China’s Jiner Zhu and Zhongyi Tan, and Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina and Kateryna Lagno have secured their positions. The final spot is expected to be decided soon.