India’s R Vaishali Claims Candidates Crown; One Win From World Chess Title

India’s R Vaishali has won the Women’s Candidates Tournament, sealing her spot in the World Championship match. This victory puts her one step away from the world title.
Later this year, Vaishali will face reigning world champion Ju Wenjun of China. In the 14-round Candidates tournament, she led from start to finish with 8.5 points to claim the title.
In the final round, a draw was enough for Vaishali to secure the championship. In the women’s section, after losing the second-round game, Vaishali bounced back with consistent play and took the sole lead after the 11th round, which she held till the end.
Vaishali had also won the 2024 FIDE Grand Swiss tournament with 7.5 points, finishing second on tiebreaks. With 8.5 points in the Candidates, she finished first and qualified for the Candidates. Notably, she became a Grandmaster in August last year after scoring 1.5 points in the tournament. With this win, Vaishali has qualified to play Ju Wenjun in the World Championship match. After Hou Yifan, she is the second player to qualify for the Candidates final through the Grand Swiss route.