Vaishali Rameshbabu Ranking

Vaishali Rameshbabu Ranking

Vaishali, Rameshbabu
Vaishali, Rameshbabu

Vaishali Rameshbabu (also known as R. Vaishali) is an Indian chess Grandmaster (awarded in 2024) born in 2001. She is the older sister of GM R. Praggnanandhaa and recently made history by winning the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament outright with 8.5/14, becoming the first Indian woman to do so. She will now challenge Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun for the title.

Current Ratings (as of April 2026)

  • Standard (Classical): 2470 (official FIDE rating)
  • Rapid: 2387
  • Blitz: 2371

Her peak standard rating was 2506 in August 2024.

Rankings

  • Women’s Live Rating: Around 2496 (recently gained points from the Candidates, up ~26 points in some updates).
  • Women’s World Ranking: Approximately #13 (live) to #19 (official FIDE list).
  • India Women’s Ranking: #4.
  • Overall World Ranking (all players): Around 800–1200 range depending on the exact list and activity status.

She has been a top Indian female player for years, previously breaking into the 2500+ club and earning her GM title as one of the few women to achieve it from India (after Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli in certain contexts).

For the most up-to-date numbers, check the official FIDE ratings page (profile ID: 5091756) or live rating sites like 2700chess.com.

Early Career & Youth Success (2012–2018)

  • Won the Girls Under-12 World Youth Chess Championship in 2012.
  • Won the Girls Under-14 World Youth Chess Championship in 2015.
  • Secured multiple national and Asian youth titles, including the National Junior Girls Championship.
  • Earned the Woman International Master (WIM) title in 2016 and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title in 2018.

Title Progression & GM Journey (2019–2024)

  • Achieved her International Master (IM) title in 2021.
  • Earned three (and actually four) Grandmaster norms between 2019 and 2023:
    • First norm: Xtracon Open (2019, Denmark).
    • Second norm: Fischer Memorial (2022, Greece), highlighted by a strong 5-0 streak.
    • Third norm: Qatar Masters Open (2023), where she also won the women’s prize and defeated strong grandmasters.
  • Officially awarded the Grandmaster (GM) title in 2024 after crossing the 2500 FIDE rating barrier at the El Llobregat Open in Spain (peak classical rating: 2506 in August 2024). She became the third Indian woman GM (after Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli) and the first female GM from Tamil Nadu.

Major Tournament Victories

  • FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament:
    • Winner in 2023 (Isle of Man): Undefeated with 8.5/11, qualifying for the 2024 Women’s Candidates. This was a breakout performance with a performance rating around 2658.
    • Defended her title in 2025 (Samarkand, Uzbekistan): Scored 8/11, securing back-to-back victories and another Candidates qualification path.
  • FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 (Cyprus): Won outright with 8.5/14 (+5 wins, 7 draws, 2 losses). She started as the lowest-rated player in the field but mounted a strong comeback, clinching the title in the final round with a clinical win over Kateryna Lagno. This made her the first Indian woman to win the Women’s Candidates, earning the right to challenge Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun later in 2026.

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