Vaishali and Pragg, seen with their mother, will be part of India’s challenge at the Olympiad in Samarkand.
| Photo Credit: File photo
They are the world’s first brother-sister Grandmaster duo. And this is turning out to be their grandest year on the chessboard.
R. Praggnanandhaa and R. Vaishali have already recorded some of their finest performances this year. How Vaishali won the Candidates tournament after starting out as the eight seed in a field of eight in Cyprus in April has been the biggest story of the year in women’s chess so far.
She became the first Indian woman to win the Candidates and will now play China’s Ju Wenjun for the World championship. Koneru Humpy is the only Indian to have contested the Women’s World championship.
After her greatest moment, Vaishali had told this correspondent over the phone from Cyprus how helpful the presence of her younger brother was at the Candidates tournament. Personally for Praggnanandhaa, it was a tournament to forget, though: in the open event he finished seventh.
But the gritty fighter that he is, he has battled his way back to top form since. During the last three months, he has won as many major titles — Norway Chess, where he stunned the World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen twice, the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and then the Grand Chess Tour, in the finals of which he outwitted the World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana just a couple of days ago at St. Louis.
Vaishali was also in the American city alongside Praggnanandhaa, but she didn’t have a great time, though. She was there for the Cairns Cup.
They would soon be travelling together for a much bigger event. The Chess Olympiad, to be held at Samarkand next month, will see them representing India.
And they could have key roles to play in India’s title defence. At the last Olympiad in Budapest in 2024, India was crowned champion in both the open and women’s sections.
Published – August 29, 2026 06:52 pm IST
