New Delhi: Photos and videos are abuzz on social media. to see Vaishali Holding the Women’s Candidates title and imagining that she will soon be sitting in front of five-time world champion China’s Ju Wenjin to challenge for the world title, our very own Vaishali Ramesh Babu, is something that deserves to make you laugh and at the same time, fill your chest with considerable pride. But certainly, it wasn’t easy for the 24-year-old Indian grandmaster to get there.In one of our previous pieces, titled “Behind the glory of Vaishali candidates is a 19-year-old boy named M Parneesh.“, we touched on the 2025 Chennai Grandmasters tournament, which was in its third edition and Vaishali was invited to compete in the Challengers section. We then wrote, “Winning the Challengers means qualifying for the next edition of the Masters. Vaishali had a nightmare tournament, finishing rock bottom, but that’s a story for another day.”Today is “another day”.
With the Chennai Grand Masters ending on August 16, 2025, and the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss scheduled to begin on September 2, there was little time to recover. Vaishali, who eventually qualified for the women’s singles by winning the Grand Swiss, initially had no intention of playing in it. His winless run in Chennai, which included just two draws in ten rounds, boosted his confidence to an insurmountable level.However, the Grand Swiss appeared to be the most practical route for female candidates. His coach RB Ramesh, his younger brother R Praganandha and his parents tried their best to convince him to participate. But Vaishali was stubborn.She was adamant that she would not travel to Uzbekistan for the event. Unable to make any progress in the impasse, RB Ramesh approached his mentor Karthikeyan Murali, the 38th Grandmaster of India and someone who has also been very close to Vaishali’s family, to see if an outside voice could break the ice.
Persuasion on a two-hour call
Speaking exclusively to TimesofIndia.com, 27-year-old Karthikeyan recalled the critical nature of the situation. “She was down mentally after Chennai because she didn’t win a single game. I could understand her feeling. In a tournament like this, it’s very hard on your confidence,” he said.The reluctance to play in the Grand Swiss was so strong that even his inner circle felt powerless. “Ramesh sir tried to convince her, but apparently she was not ready to play. Prague was trying, as were her parents. But sometimes you need someone from an outside source, not just someone close to you. You need a new channel for inspiration. Apparently, I was that person,” added the Grandmaster.
Karthikeyan Murali at FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 (Photo by Michal Walusza/FIDE)
This was followed by a two-hour phone call.“I had a call that lasted for almost two hours. I just wanted to encourage him and make him play the Grand Swiss somehow. I don’t know exactly what part of what I said influenced him, but I’m glad he decided to play,” Karthikeyan added with a smile. “I didn’t do well; I mostly told him what the others had already said, but maybe the way it was delivered helped.”Perhaps the most shocking revelation behind Vaishali’s resurgence was the women’s complete detachment from the game in the fortnight leading up to the Grand Swiss.“One of the key things he did was to mentally free himself from attachment to results,” Karthikeyan noted. “I also heard that he didn’t prepare at all before the Grand Swiss. He did not even watch chess for 15 days.“She has all the strength, hard work and talent, but she was facing psychological hurdles. I think those 15 days were crucial. Whatever she did to stay off the board at that time, she actually helped win the tournament.”
Vaishali with mother Nagalakshmi and younger brother Ramesh Babu Praganananda (Photo by Michal Walusza/FIDE)
Vaishali arrives in Uzbekistan with a fresh mind after winning the Grand Swiss and securing her place among the candidates.However, after a draw and a few poor performances in the early stages of Candidates, his confidence returned in the middle of the tournament, especially after a crucial Round 7 win against Tan Zhongyi. “Winning that game gave him a lot of confidence in his position,” observed Karthikeyan.
A date with a five-time world champion
Now that the barrage of candidates has been cleared, five-time world champion, Joe Wenjin from China, represents the final boss on Vaishali’s journey.While Karthikeyan is proud of how Vaishali has made it among the female contenders, he points out certain areas where the Indian star should be careful going forward.“I really hope she doesn’t feel the pressure,” Murali said of the upcoming World Championship match. “If she feels pressure, she can’t give 100 percent of her game. She needs to maintain the same mental freedom she had during the Grand Swiss and Candidates.”
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Also read: Gakesh, Vaishali World Chess Championship matches together? Here’s what we knowWhen asked about technical weaknesses that may have surfaced during his recent games, the grandmaster highlighted time management as the main concern. “I think she’s using too much time,” he concluded, “that’s my opinion. I felt she used too much time in places she didn’t have to.”
