Vaishali Rameshbabu becomes first woman to win Grand Swiss twice
The Indian Grandmaster won the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss for the second time in a row and made it to the women's Candidates tournament after a hard-fought draw against former world champion Zhongyi Tan of China.
Vaishali Rameshbabu made history on Tuesday after she became the first woman to win the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss twice. On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated her, saying her passion and dedication are exemplary.
The Indian Grandmaster won the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss for the second time in a row and made it to the women's Candidates tournament after a hard-fought draw against former world champion Zhongyi Tan of China in the 11th and final round in Samarkand on Monday.
In a post on X, Modi said, "Outstanding accomplishment. Congrats to Vaishali Rameshbabu. Her passion and dedication are exemplary. Best wishes for her future endeavours."
Vaishali says the FIDE Grand Swiss title triumph has come at a crucial juncture for her after having endured a year that was "not going" well despite her persistent effort to improve.
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Vaishali became the first player to win the elite event in the women's section for a second consecutive time. Besides a prize cheque of $40,000, Vaishali also earned herself a spot in the next year's Candidates Tournament.
"It's hard to choose," Vaishali said when asked to compare her 2023 victory in the same event with the recent triumph. "In 2023, the Grand Swiss victory came at the very right moment. I hadn't played well for a long time, a lot of things fell into place," she explained.
"Again, this year was not going well; I was working very hard, but somehow the results were not going my way. This win is very crucial," she noted.
Vaishali became the third Indian to make the cut for the Candidates, apart from Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy.
In another post, lauding a sporting achievement, Modi said he was proud of Anandkumar Velkumar for winning the gold at the Senior Men's 1000m Sprint in the Speed Skating World Championships 2025.
He said, "His grit, speed and spirit have made him India's first World Champion in skating. His accomplishment will inspire countless youngsters. Congratulations to him and best wishes for all future endeavours."
(With inputs from PTI)
Edited by Suman Singh