File Photo: Vaishali R, Indian Grandmaster | Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B

Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali clinched the FIDE Women’s Candidates title after defeating Kateryna Lagno in the final round on Wednesday in Cyprus. The ace chess player has now secured her place in the Women’s World Championship match, where she will face reigning champion Ju Wenjun later this year.

The 24-year-old R Vaishali clinched the FIDE Women’s Candidates title by a narrow margin of half a point, sealing her triumph with a crucial final-round victory over Kateryna Lagno. Playing with the white pieces, Vaishali produced a clinical and composed performance to secure the decisive win and finish at the top of the standings.

Starting the tournament as one of the lowest-rated players in the field, Vaishali’s breakthrough run has drawn comparisons to D Gukesh’s remarkable Candidates victory in 2024, when he too overcame a lower rating status to emerge champion.

Her consistency throughout the event proved vital as she edged past a strong field to book her place in the Women’s World Championship match against reigning champion Ju Wenjun.

This marks a significant leap from her previous campaign in 2024, where Vaishali scored 7.5 points and finished in joint-second place. This time, she improved her tally by a full point, finishing clear at the top and sealing one of the biggest achievements of her career.

“Playing for a world championship title is very prestigious — very happy that she’s come so far,” her childhood coach, RB Ramesh, said on ChessBase India’s live stream during the closing stages of Vaishali’s game against Lagno, as quoted by ESPN.

“She kept her nerves well at the crucial moment. Really great result,” Ramesh said.

The Women’s Candidates tournament has a long and evolving history, first being held in 1952 as the qualifying event to decide the challenger for the Women’s World Championship. It remained the pathway to the title match until 1997, when the format was replaced by knockout-style tournaments. However, the Candidates format was reinstated in 2019 after FIDE restored the traditional match system to determine the Women’s World Champion.

Published on April 16, 2026