Mumbai, June 7: In a remarkable achievement, Vaishali Rameshbabu has claimed the title at the inaugural WR Women’s Chess Tour event in Tokyo, just hours after her brother, Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa, made history by becoming the first Indian to win the Norway Chess Championship.
The 24-year-old showcased her exceptional skills in a rapid event featuring eight players, with a time control of 15 minutes and an additional 10 seconds added after each move.
Vaishali outperformed renowned players, including Russia’s Alexandra Kosteniuk and Kateryna Lagno, as well as Bulgaria’s Antoaneta Stefanova. Other competitors included Anna Sargsyan, Irene Sukandar, Alua Nurman, and Azumi Sakai.
In the final, Vaishali demonstrated her prowess by defeating Kazakhstan’s IM Alua Nurman with a score of 1.5-0.5 in a two-game match. She had previously secured her place in the final by overcoming former women’s world champion Kosteniuk with the same score. In the quarter-finals, she triumphed over IM Irene Sukandar, winning one game and drawing another, resulting in a final score of 1.5-0.5.
Following her rapid title victory, Vaishali aims to achieve a double by winning the blitz event starting this Sunday.
Earlier, Praggnanandhaa made headlines by staging a remarkable comeback in the super tournament, defeating Germany’s Vincent Keymer in the final round of the classical chess event. This victory made him the first Indian to win the Norway Chess Championship, earning a top prize of $100,000. Playing with white pieces, he capitalized on Keymer’s mistakes in the middle game and secured victory on the 45th move. He concluded the tournament with 18 points, including five wins, two losses, and two draws, both of which he won in Armageddon games.
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