New Delhi,sep 16
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Indian chess player Vaishali Rameshbabu after she successfully defended her FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss title in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, securing a place in the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates tournament.On his official X handle, PM Modi said, “Outstanding accomplishment. Congrats to Vaishali Rameshbabu. Her passion and dedication are exemplary. Best wishes for her future endeavours. “Vaishali scored 8 points in 11 rounds, finishing level with Kateryna Lagno but won on tie-breaks to clinch the title. With this feat, she became the third Indian to qualify for next year’s Candidates tournament, joining Divya Deshmukh, who won the Women’s World Cup, and Koneru Humpy, who reached the World Cup final.The achievement marks yet another milestone in what has been a pathbreaking 2025 for Indian women’s chess.With this triumph, she has firmly re-established herself on the big stage.
