When R Vaishali landed in Chennai in the early hours of Sunday, the reality still hadn’t fully sunk in. India’s newest World Championship challenger is living a moment she had dreamed of for years. But even as she takes it in, the 24-year-old is already looking ahead.
“It feels nice living my dream and I’m slowly processing what has happened. It’s been a long journey and this was one of my dreams. But I still don’t think I have become one of the greatest women chess players from India. I mean, it’s a long way to go. Both (Koneru) Humpy akka and (D) Harika akka, who are really an inspiration for me, have played chess for decades and even after becoming mothers, they are playing at the highest level. It’s not easy. I hope I’ll also have a long journey like them. There’s a lot more to achieve,” R Vaishali said.
R Vaishali’s qualification makes her only the second Indian woman, after Koneru Humpy, to challenge for the world crown, underlining just how big this moment is for Indian chess. But what stands out is her refusal to get carried away.
The focus is clear: consistency, longevity, and legacy.
R Vaishali On Her Journey
She also hopes her journey can shift something bigger than just rankings or titles. Indian women’s chess, often overshadowed despite strong individual performances, is now seeing a steady rise.
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She said, “I hope many girls will get inspired and take up chess professionally. The last few years for Indian women’s chess has been amazing. Humpy akka won the World Rapid Championship a couple of years ago and Divya (Deshmukh) won the World Cup. We’ve seen Indian juniors dominating, but Indian women’s chess is different and it’s nice that we are winning tournaments also. So, I just hope many girls will take it up,”
R Vaishali’s path to today has been bumpy. Just a few months ago, everything was off. After several losses, she began to have doubts about both her game and herself, and she needed to rethink how she plays and what her overall approach will be.
She experienced her turning point at the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament. She entered the tournament unprepared and very much full of doubt. What she accomplished there was nothing short of extraordinary as she defended her title and secured herself a spot in the Candidates, ultimately changing her own narrative.
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The work that went into her comeback, however, is something that chess players do not usually discuss – The Mental Game.
“Chess is a brutal sport,” R Vaishali admitted.
She also mentioned her coaches, saying,“And special mention to Anand sir and Westbridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA), who continued to support me and help me in every way possible. I’m very grateful to them. So, the last few months, I’ve been training back-to-back for this one. I think now we’ll take some break and then start preparing again.”
There was also constant support from someone who knows her game better than most, her brother R Praggnanandhaa.
Despite having a difficult campaign himself, he stayed by her side throughout.
“He had a tough event, but he was still motivating me. It felt like we were very close to our dreams. In the last game, for example, we discussed some lines. He is someone who knows me better than anybody else. When I walked out of the playing hall after the win, Pragg and Amma were standing there, and I couldn’t control my emotions anymore. I was very happy. And then Pragg told me that after I played the c4 move, he could finally breathe. He was also very tense,” R Vaishali said.
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Even in victory, her approach reflects a quiet discipline. She prefers not to celebrate in front of opponents, a small detail that says a lot about her mindset.
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