R Vaishali is still in disbelief after her historic win at the Women's Candidates tournament in Cyprus. The 24-year-old Indian emerged champion, becoming only the second player from the country to qualify for the Women's World Championship match.
HT spoke to Vaishali after her win, and she expressed her emotions about the momentous occasion. 'It's taken years and years of hard work to earn this moment,' she said.
Vaishali will be playing the Women's World Championship match against five-time world champion Ju Wenjun, whom she has played against a few times. 'She's very strong and quite solid. You don't see her losing many games,' Vaishali said.
Despite facing a difficult 2025, Vaishali credits her resilience and resourcefulness for her win. 'I was resilient during the tournament, and I was able to find tricks. Luck to some extent played a role, also resourcefulness,' she said.
Vaishali also spoke about her pre-game ritual, which involved checking lines five minutes before leaving for the games. She also credited her brother Praggnanandhaa for his role in her journey, saying he has been helping her with preparation and is her go-to person, not just for chess, but emotionally too.
