Vaishali becomes first Indian woman to win Candidates, qualifies for World Championship match

India's R Vaishali produced the biggest result of her career on Wednesday, winning the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament in Cyprus to become the first Indian to claim the title and secure a place in the World Championship match later this year.

The 24-year-old, long seen in the shadow of her younger sibling R Praggnanandhaa, sealed the 2026 crown with a composed victory in the final round, finishing a campaign that gathered momentum as it progressed and stayed alive until the closing day. Her win sets up a meeting with China's reigning champion Ju Wenjun, a five-time world champion who has set the standard in the women's game in recent years. On the other hand, Vaishali's brother Praggnanandhaa signed off with a draw against American star Hikaru Nakamura.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand summed up the broader significance of her win, saying, "We will have one horse in both races," as India now finds itself represented in both the Open and Women's World Championship matches. With D Gukesh already holding the Open world title, the country's rise at the top level continues to gather pace.

Vaishali's route to the title was anything but straightforward. After five rounds of the 14-round tournament, she was placed near the bottom of the standings alongside Divya Deshmukh and Tan Zhongyi. At that stage, she was not among the frontrunners and had ground to make up in a tightly packed field.

She did not force the issue. Instead, Vaishali rebuilt her campaign step by



step, putting together a run of steady results to stay within touching distance. While others around her began to falter under pressure, she held her line, ensuring she remained in contention heading into the final stretch.

By the start of the last round, the title race had narrowed to three players. Vaishali was tied at the top with Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva, while China's Zhu Jiner was half a point behind. The equation was clear. Vaishali needed to take care of her own game against Kateryna Lagno and keep pace with Assaubayeva.

The first piece of the puzzle fell into place on the neighbouring board. Divya Deshmukh held Assaubayeva to a draw. There was a moment in the middle game where Divya had a chance to press for more, but under time pressure she could not convert it. Even so, the draw ensured that the title would be decided by Vaishali's result.

She made sure there were no doubts. Playing with the white pieces, Vaishali delivered a calm, controlled performance against Lagno. Her preparation showed early, allowing her to come out of the opening with a clear edge. From there, she managed the position with clarity, building on a pawn advantage and steering the game through a critical phase approaching the second time control, where a series of accurate moves kept her firmly in control.

"She kept the nerves well at the crucial moment. Really great result," her childhood coach RB Ramesh said on Chessbase India's live stream, as Vaishali closed in on the title.