Vaishali Wins WR Women's Chess Tour Title in Japan

Indian chess star R Vaishali has added another major achievement to her growing career by winning the WR Women's Chess Tour title in Japan. With this victory, the 24-year-old became the first Indian woman to win the prestigious Women's Candidates Chess Tournament format event.

Vaishali delivered an impressive performance throughout the rapid chess competition, which featured eight top players from around the world. She finished in first place, ahead of Russia's Alexandra Kosteniuk and Bulgaria's Antoaneta Stefanova, who secured second and third positions respectively.

In the final round held on Saturday, Vaishali faced Kazakhstan's Alua Nurman and secured a convincing 1.5-0.5 victory over two games. Earlier, she defeated former champion Kosteniuk by the same margin in the semifinals to book her place in the title clash.

Her journey to the championship included a strong quarterfinal performance, where she won one game and drew the other to advance comfortably.

After lifting the rapid chess trophy, Vaishali is now aiming for a double triumph as she prepares to compete in the Blitz Chess event, which begins immediately after the rapid competition.

The victory marked a memorable day for the Vaishali family. Just hours before her title-winning performance, her younger brother R Praggnanandhaa made history by winning the prestigious Norway Chess title.

Praggnanandhaa defeated Germany's Vincent Keymer in the final round to become the first Indian player ever to win the Norway Chess championship.

With both siblings securing major international titles on the same day, Indian chess celebrated a remarkable milestone, highlighting the country's growing dominance on the global chess stage.

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