News Brief
Making History: Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa Become First Chess Grandmaster Siblings
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and his sister Vaishali (Pic Via BBC)
Vaishali Rameshbabu has made history as India's third female Grandmaster, achieving a rating over 2500 at the 2023 IV Elllobregat Open on Saturday.
This accomplishment also marks a unique milestone as she and her younger brother, chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, are now the first siblings to both hold the title of Grandmaster, as reported by the BBC.
Vaishali's accomplishments, although significant, were somewhat eclipsed by the rapid ascension of her younger brother Praggnanandhaa, who achieved the status of second-youngest Grandmaster in 2018, making him a star.
Vaishali, at 22 years old, is beginning to gain recognition despite her abilities and accomplishments never being in doubt. She earned the title of Woman International Master when she was 15, ascended to Woman Grandmaster at 17, and by 20, she was an International Master.
As reported by the BBC, she holds the distinction of being the first in her family to engage in chess.
She is four years elder to Praggnanandhaa and has recently concluded India's 12-year wait for a female Grandmaster. She is now the third woman to achieve this title, following in the footsteps of Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli.
Similar to Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali also embarked on her chess journey at a young age.
Their mother, Nagalaxmi, once revealed that her children were spending an excessive amount of time watching television. To counter this, she decided to enroll them in chess classes. This decision marked the beginning of their historic journey in the world of chess.
In a recent interview with the New Indian Express, the siblings' coach, RB Ramesh, discussed their approach to chess.
He noted that both siblings initially shared a similar playing style, which gradually diverged over time.
According to Ramesh, both are extremely diligent and have little interest outside of chess, showing a level of commitment and dedication uncommon for their age group.
He added that they devote numerous hours each day to improving their chess skills, and from a young age, they have been singularly focused on their practice, foregoing traditional schooling.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
