Vaishali creates history: Wins FIDE Grand Swiss Title twice in a row, PM Modi hails feat
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu for creating history by winning the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss 2025 for the second consecutive time. He called it an 'outstanding achievement'. PM Modi wrote on the social media platform 'X', "Outstanding achievement. Congratulations to Vaishali Rameshbabu. Her passion and dedication are exemplary. Best wishes for her future endeavours. " Vaishali Rameshbabu on Monday held former women's world champion Tan Zhongyi to a draw in the final round to secure the top spot in the tournament.
Both Vaishali and Caterina Lagno scored 8 points, but Vaishali had an edge in the tiebreak score, due to which she was declared the winner. This is her second Grand Swiss victory. With this, Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu has made her name in history by becoming the first Indian to successfully defend the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss title.
World champion Vishwanathan Anand has also congratulated Vaishali Rameshbabu on this victory. Anand wrote in the 'X' post, "Congratulations to Vaishali Rameshbabu for her brilliant performance. Her perseverance and hard work is truly commendable. Winning the FIDE Grand Swiss twice is an achievement that only a few people can achieve."
With this win, Vaishali Rameshbabu has confirmed her place in the Candidates Tournament, which is a stepping stone to the World Championship. The Candidates Tournament will be held in the year 2026.
India will now field three participants in the women's category. These include Vaishali, Koneru Humpy and World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh. None of the other Indians participating in this competition could make it to the Candidates Tournament. Meanwhile, Anish Giri of the Netherlands was the winner in the Open category, who defeated Hans Moke Niemann of America.