Grandmasters R Praggnanandhaa, Sister Vaishali creates unique Indian record
Indian chess player Vaishali Rameshbabu, sister of chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, on Saturday became India’s third female Grandmaster by surpassing 2500 rating during the 2023 IV Elllobregat Open on Saturday. With this achievement, Vaishali and her younger brother have become the first-ever Grandmaster siblings pair in history. She has also joined the likes of legendary Vishwanathan Anand, Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Dibyendu Barua, R Praggnanandhaa etc. To celebrate this joyous moment, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin congratulated the duo on their achievement.
“Huge congrats, @chessvaishali, on becoming the third female Grandmaster from India and the first from Tamil Nadu! 2023 has been splendid for you. Alongside your brother @rpragchess, you’ve made history as the first sister-brother duo to qualify for the #Candidates tournament. Adding to the glory, you are now the first-ever Grandmaster siblings. We’re immensely proud of your achievements, and your remarkable journey is an inspiration to aspiring chess enthusiasts and a testament to women’s empowerment in our state! #TamilNaduPride@Udhaystalin @ChessbaseIndia @FIDE_chess,” tweeted Stalin from his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
Earlier having fulfilled three GM norms, Vaishali completed the one final requirement on Friday by attaining the required number of rating points. She is the third female player to attain the grandmaster title, besides Humpy and Dronavalli.
