R Vaishali Wins FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament

In a historic triumph for Indian chess, 24-year-old grandmaster R Vaishali became the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament on Wednesday in Pegeia, Cyprus, securing her spot as challenger to reigning world champion Ju Wenjun of China in the upcoming Women's World Chess Championship.

Vaishali clinched the title with 8.5 points from 14 games in the double round-robin event, which featured eight top players vying for the right to face Ju. Entering the final round tied for the lead at 7.5 points with Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva, Vaishali needed a victory to stay ahead. Playing with the white pieces against Russia's Kateryna Lagno, she delivered a precise performance, gaining a pawn advantage early and converting it through accurate middlegame play to secure the full point. The result proved decisive when fellow Indian Divya Deshmukh held Assaubayeva to a draw on the adjacent board, ensuring Vaishali finished outright first by half a point. Without Deshmukh's resilience, tiebreakers would have been required.

Vaishali's path to victory was marked by resilience amid ups and downs. As one of the lower-rated entrants, she started slowly, sitting near the...