Who is Vaishali Rameshbabu? Indian chess grandmaster set to challenge world champion Ju Wenjun for €300,000 title

The Mediterranean shores of Cyprus were on a high tide this Wednesday as some of the best female chess masters in the world waged a board-war to win the Women's Candidate crown. Three candidates were in the running for the title: India's Vaishali Rameshbabu, Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva and China's Zhu Jiner.

In the match held on April 15, 2026, Vaishali Rameshbabu defeated Ukrainian-Russian Kateryna Lagno to win the 2026 FIDE Women's Candidates with a score of 8.5/14 points. Vaishali played successful games throughout the tournament scoring 5 wins, 7 draws and only 2 losses. Bibisara Assaubayeva drew with Divya Deshmukh and finished in sole second place, while Zhu Jiner and Aleksandra Goryachkina shared third.

Speaking at the postgame press conference, Vaishali expressed delight at her win: “It’s amazing, a dream come true for me. When I lost to Zhu Jiner, everything suddenly opened up, and I’m happy I was able to stay focused in the last two rounds and give my best.”

She also thanked her parents, family and team who helped her "every day." She also credited her family for the sacrifices they made over the year for her and her younger brother R. Praggnanandhaa, also a chess grandmaster. "For a family, it’s a long journey to have two professionals at home. My family had to make many sacrifices in the beginning, but for about 10 years now we’ve had support from sponsors. It’s been a collective family effort over many years, and each of us plays a part."

Vaishali is guaranteed at least €28,000 for winning the Women’s Candidates Tournament. In addition, she earned €2,200 for every half-point scored during the event, increasing her total prize.

Who is Vaishali Rameshbabu?

Vaishali's victory arrives as a happy surprise. The 24-year-old from Chennai entered the tournament as the lowest-rated player in the field. With her win and score of 8.5/14, she gained 26 rating points. However, she still remains below the 2500 mark and is more than 60 points behind Wenjun in live rankings.

But Vaishali's talent speaks volumes and wins medals. She began her journey with World Youth Titles in 2012 and 2015. Over the years, she contributed to India's gold medals at the Online Chess Olympiad in 2020, won back-to-back titles at the Women's Grand Swiss in 2023 and 2025 and finished tied for second in the 2024 Women's Candidates after ending the tournament with five consecutive wins.

Now, she is all set to challenge the world-reigning Women's World Champion, China's Ju Wenjun, in the upcoming FIDE Women's World Championship match. In her upcoming game with Wenjun, a five-time world champion known for her calm and clinical strategy, there is a prize pool of €300,000 at stake, along with an esteemed title.

Interestingly, Vaishali isn't the only Indian girl making the country proud in the global battle of chess. Divya Deshmukh also participated in the game, and recently, Indian-origin Bodhana Sivanandan became England's top female chess player at just 11 years old. Thus, it seems India's future in chess is being paved by talented females one pawn at a time.