R Vaishali’s victory at the Candidates tournament resonated beyond the chess board. It was another glimpse into the transformational world of women’s chess in India and its ascent into the realms of greatness. Quite a few records were set in the picturesque island of Cyprus that hosted the eight-player tournament. Vaishali became the first Indian woman to win Candidates, making her eligible to challenge world champion Ju Wenjun of China. Viswanathan Anand won five men’s world titles and D Gukesh secured one in 2024, but no Indian has won the women’s world title yet. This isn’t all. Last year, Divya Deshmukh created history by winning the World Cup and securing the final grandmaster norm at age 19—only the fourth Indian woman to do so after Koneru Humpy, D Harika and Vaishali. After a long era when Humpy and Harika were only Indian stars on the women’s chess firmament, the sky has remarkably broadened.
For various reasons, women in the modern era have had shorter careers in the sport. Humpy has managed to break the stereotype by continuing to play at the highest level at age 39. And all our grandmasters are pushing hard to bridge the gap with the Chinese, the foremost practitioners of the sport in recent decades. At the Budapest Olympiad in 2024, India didn’t stand a chance of winning going by the seedings. Yet, Indian women dominated the event.
Now there is belief that whatever Indian men can achieve in chess, women can too. But the confidence has come with hard work. For Vaishali, the last 10 months were extremely challenging—she had hit a low and lost the joy of playing the game. She was struggling mentally when she sought advice to resuscitate her career. Things slowly changed. Now, the 24-year-old is on the crest of a wave.
When Anand became world champion for the first time, chess had its first eureka moment in India. A Vaishali win in the title match can have a similar effect. Even if she does not become world champion, her popularity will inspire more young girls to take up the game. There’s hope beyond Vaishali and Deshmukh, too. A few weeks ago, A S Sharvaanica, widely touted to be a grandmaster in waiting, became a world champion in the under-12 age category.