She staged a coup in Cyprus. R. Vaishali, seeded eighth in a field of eight, won the women’s Candidates chess tournament, the qualifying event for the World championship match. The 24-year-old from Chennai is the first Indian to do so in the 74-year history of the Candidates. Excerpts:
What are your thoughts on the World title match against Ju Wenjun later this year?
Published – April 21, 2026 12:12 am IST
