2024 saw Indian chess rise and rule the global arena
If someone asks Indian chess fans about their favorite moment from 2024, they would probably be confused; because there were just so many! From our top players making history to the budding talents climbing the ladder… Indian chess was on fire in 2024! More importantly, it was not just about the victories; we saw some great initiatives taken to improve the future of Indian chess. Let’s take a quick recap of the moments that made 2024 unforgettable for Indian chess!
India's Chess Revolution
2024 will go down in history as the year when Indian chess truly dominated the global stage. It was a year when India's chess 'fandemic' was at its peak. Our players' remarkable achievements, the initiatives taken to uplift Indian chess, and many people taking up chess seriously… 2024 really felt like India’s Chess Revolution. No doubt we are hoping for even greater triumphs in the year ahead; but why not celebrate some incredible feats once again? Take a look at this ‘Chess Wrapped’.
January
1. Vidit's quick trip to the top
Vidit started the year by showing amazing performance at the Tata Steel Chess 2024. In round 12, he defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov with white pieces in an intense six-hour game. This win not only gained him the lead in the tournament but also made him India no. 1 and World no. 10 by crossing 2750 in live rating. Interestingly, he was not aware about this possibility during the game; he found out when people congratulated him afterward.
“It would be hypocritical of me to say that it doesn’t feel good. At the same time, it’s a very fleeting thing. Because the difference between all the players now is very marginal. That’s why it keeps changing. For me personally, it feels good. But I also know that it doesn’t mean much if I don;t feel like I am the best. When I know that I will be the best, the ratings will reflect it.”
Unfortunately, Vidit lost his last game against Wei Yi the next day and dropped his ranking.
This was heartbreaking for Vidit’s fans, but overall, it was a good sign that Indian chess is growing so fast, that there will be strong competition to fight for the top spot.
2. Complicated... but simple
Leon Luke Mendonca made his debut at the Tata Steel Challengers last year. The teenager showed an amazing performance, particularly in the second half of the event. In his last game, his opponent Divya Deshmukh had a better position; but she miscalculated an exchange. The game shifted in Leon's favor but he was not entirely sure about his winning chances. He shared a fun anecdote:
I saw the camera crew coming to take my photo. Then I thought I am winning. That's the only reason they would take my photo. It just confirmed my suspicion.
Leon's strategy for the event was quite simple - Create complicated positions to outplay his opponent! With this victory, he has qualified for the Tata Steel Masters 2025.
3. Banglore’s strategic move for Indian chess
The chess boom in Banglore is at its peak and the Bangalore Urban District Chess Association (BUDCA) has been at the forefront of this revolution. They have been trying to improve the infrastructure and create opportunities for talented players for the past few years. In such an effort, they organised the 1st Bangalore International Grandmasters Open 2024 from 18th-26th January 2024. This tournament featured both Classical and Blitz matches and was successful in many ways. The Classical tournament saw participation from 207 players from 17 countries while 462 players from 15 countries participated in the Blitz tournament.
Mitrabha was in great form as he won both tournaments after his victory in the East Zone Inter University Men 2023-24 tournament. He started the year with a bang by remaining unbeaten in these tournaments. This was his first time winning a strong tournament in India. On the other hand, Sethuraman was happy but a little disappointed at the same time for not winning the tournament. Both the top finishers appreciated the competitive level of the tournament as many young underrated players also participated.
One more reason that made this event successful was that six players scored their respective norms in this event. That’s why organizing strong tournaments like this and the Chennai Grand Masters is crucial for the growth of Indian chess.
4. Masterclass with Judit Polgar
Judit Polgar, the strongest female chess player in the world has been a source of inspiration for many girls. Her journey inspires young women players to pursue chess seriously and compete at the highest level. And what’s better than training under your idol? Seven Indian female players had the opportunity to be a part of the training camp under Judit Polgar in Budapest. The camp was held for 8 hours each day for 14 days (4th-17th January) where the players learned new strategies and gained insights from the legend herself.
The camp was sponsored by the Pravaha Foundation who are committed to support Indian women in chess. The impact of this training was clearly seen in the performance of Tania Sachdev and Vantika Agrawal at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest. The Indian Women’s team won the Team Gold medal, with Vantika also securing an Individual Gold. This camp highlighted the growing support for Indian chess.
February
1. Tamil Nadu is the powerhouse of chess
If we talk about the number of participants, then the biggest tournament in India is the National School Chess Championship. In 2024, it was held in Patna, Bihar from 6th to 10th February in which a total of 885 players from 29 different Indian states and union territories competed for the title. There were six categories of different age groups (U-7, U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15 and U-17). The winners in these age categories were:
Group | Name | State | Points | Interview |
U-7 Open | Takkshanth Anand | Tamil Nadu | 8/9 | Click here |
U-7 Girls | Sukriti Rhea S | Tamil Nadu | 8.5/9 | Click here |
U-9 Open | Oishik Mondal | West Bengal | 8/9 | Click here |
U-9 Girls | Divi Bijesh | Kerala | 8.5/9 | Click here |
U-11 Open | Rishen Jilowa | Rajasthan | 8/9 | Click here |
U-11 Girls | Pratitee Bordoloi | Karnataka | 8.5/9 | Click here |
U-13 Open | Md. Reyan | Bihar | 8/9 | Click here |
U-13 Girls | Maitreyi Mondal | West Bengal | 7/9 | Click here |
U-15 Open | Arnav Agrawal | Uttar Pradesh | 8/9 | Click here |
U-15 Girls | Drishtee Ghosh | Karnataka | 7/9 | Click here |
U-17 Open | CM Shadhursshaan R | Tamil Nadu | 7.5/9 | Click here |
U-17 Girls | Sindhusree K | Tamil Nadu | 7/9 | Click here |
No wonder Tamil Nadu has bagged more medals in the tournament! No wonder why Tamil Nadu is known to be the best chess state in India! No wonder Tamil Nadu has the most number of grandmasters in India! The state has always emphasized nurturing talent that has proven successful on the global stage.
2. 30 Reasons India dominated the Commonwealth:
Category | Name | Rank | Score |
Open | GM Mitrabha Guha | 1st | 7.5/9 |
IM Rohith Krishna S | 2nd | 7/9 | |
GM Deepan Chakkravarthy | 3rd | 7/9 | |
Women | WGM Nandhidhaa P V | 3rd (After tie-breaks) | 6/9 |
U-8 Open | Sarbartho Mani | 1st | 9/9 |
Hriday Garg | 2nd | 7/9 | |
U-10 Open | Rahul Ramakrishnan | 1st | 9/9 |
Muhammad Shayan Noushad Ibrahim | 2nd | 7/9 | |
U-10 Girls | Sharvaanica A S | 1st | 8/9 |
Samhita Pungavanam | 3rd | 7/9 | |
U-12 Open | Ayaan Garg | 3rd | 6.5/9 |
U-12 Girls | Pratitee Bordoloi | 1st | 7.5/9 |
Aadya Gowda | 2nd | 7/9 | |
Aadya Ranganath | 3rd | 7/9 | |
U-14 Open | Jval Saurin Patel | 1st | 8.5/9 |
Raghav V | 2nd | 7/9 | |
Vignesh Kannan P | 3rd | 6/9 | |
U-14 Girls | Prishita Gupta | 1st | 6.5/9 |
Saparya Ghosh | 2nd (After tie-breaks) | 6.5/9 | |
Aadya Gupta | 3rd (After tie-breaks) | 6.5/9 | |
U-16 Open | CM Velavaa Ragavesh | 2nd (After tie-breaks) | 7/9 |
U-16 Girls | Sneha Halder | 1st | 8/9 |
Yashvi Jain | 2nd | 7/9 | |
U-18 Open | IM Aswath S | 1st | 8.5/9 |
U-18 Girls | Kanishka S | 2nd | 7/9 |
U-20 Girls | Rindhiya V | 2nd (After tie-breaks) | 5.5/9 |
Rebecca Jesumarian | 3rd (After tie-breaks) | 5.5/9 | |
Blitz Open | Vignesh N R | 1st | 9/11 |
GM Swapnil S Dhopade | 3rd (After Tie-breaks) | 8.5/11 | |
Blitz Junior | Jval Saurin Patel | 2nd | 9/11 |
March
1. Growing talent and a potential chess hub
Another important tournament of the year, the National Blitz and Rapid Championship, was held at Nashik, Maharashtra from 4th-7th March. The event saw impressive participation: 225 players in the Rapid format and 217 players in the Blitz format. The participation was almost double than the previous year with stronger competition. The top three finishers of the tournament were:
Format | Name | Rank | Score | Interview |
Rapid | GM Diptayan Ghosh | 1st | 9/11 | Click here |
IM Aronyak Ghosh | 2nd | 8.5/11 | Click here | |
GM Raja Rithvik R | 3rd | 8.5/11 | Click here | |
Blitz | GM Diptayan Ghosh | 1st | 9.5/11 | Click here |
GM Raja Rithvik R | 2nd | 9/11 | Click here | |
IM Ethan Vaz | 3rd | 9/11 | Click here |
A large number of participants highlighted growing talents while efficient organization by the Nashik District Chess Association ensured that Nashik is well-equipped to host even bigger tournaments in the future.
2. Prague Futures to Prague Challengers
Aansh Nerurkar scored a stunning victory in the Prague Futures by scoring 8/9. He beat Sofiia Markina (CZE) in the penultimate round. His opponent Evangelia Siskou (GRE) was unable to compete in the final round which gained Aansh a full point. The 11-year-old prodigy also earned a spot in the Challengers section for the upcoming edition of the tournament.
April
1. The unstoppable rise
Divya Deshmukh won the Best Woman Prize at the Grenke Chess Tournament held in Karlsruhe, Germany. The tournament is one of the strongest classical tournaments known for its high level of competition from the best players around the globe. Divya's exceptional performance of scoring 7/9 earned her this recognition among the best. Although she missed a GM norm by a small margin, she managed to beat some strong players in the tournament. Over the years, Divya has been shining on the global stage; she is consistently reaching new heights with every tournament she plays. This just proves her position as one of India's top female chess players.
2. A dream turning into reality!
The 2024 Candidates tournament was different than the previous ones as three youngsters were part of the lineup. For Indians, it was even more exciting because five Indian players were in the race for the World Championship title. This was the highest number of Indian players to qualify for the Candidates so far and hence was the biggest attraction in Indian chess. After Viswanathan Anand, these five players carried the hopes of the entire nation.
While these Candidates gave it their all, we got the youngest World Championship Challenger at the end - D Gukesh! Gukesh’s Candidates spot was almost missed until he won the Chennai Grand Masters 2023. He had mentioned in several interviews how he almost gave up on qualifying for it. The Chennai Grand Masters 2023 was a miracle in his journey. By winning the tournament, Gukesh earned 87.36 FIDE Circuit points, surpassed Anish Giri, and secured his Candidates spot. We all have seen his viral clip where he said, “I want to become the youngest World Champion ever”. By winning the Candidates, his path to achieving this dream was unlocked!
May
1. India’s domination in the Dubai Chess Challenge
The largest classical tournament in UAE, the Dubai Police Global Chess Challenge was hosted from 4th-12th May. More than 100 Indian players participated in this tournament to compete at the higher level. This kind of participation and domination by Indian players in strong international tournaments reflects the strength of Indian chess on the global stage. The competition for the top positions was intense until the very end, and the Indian players who secured the top three spots were:
This was the first edition of this tournament wherein 12 players achieved their respective norms (3 GM, 8 IM, and 1 WIM). India’s P Shyaam Nikhil finally achieved his last GM norm and became India’s 85th Grandmaster. Check out his interview where he talks about his journey of 12 years to achieve the coveted GM title.
2. Up-and-coming stars
Right after the Grenke Chess Tournament, Divya Deshmukh showed another brilliant performance at the Sharjah Challengers 2024. She won the tournament by scoring 7/9 and also qualified for the Masters category in the next edition. This win also secured her a spot on the Indian Women’s A team for the 45th Olympiad.
Apart from that, 9-year-old Safin Safarullakhan scored 7.5/9 and became a runner-up in the Sharjah Futures. This talented little boy started the tournament by losing the first round, but he did not give up and went on to win 7 games in a row. When asked about his favorite player, Safin took Gukesh’s name, which wasn’t surprising at all.
“I didn’t bother about losing; I just continue to play.” - Safin Safarullakhan.
June
1. The Law of Detachment
After having a tough 2023, Arjun Erigaisi was in great form in 2024. He achieved a rating of 2778 and climbed to world No. 4 after winning the Stepan Avagyan Memorial 2024. He delivered a performance of 2854 in the tournament and proved that he is one of the most formidable players in the world! Surprisingly, Arjun mentioned in an interview that he did not care about the numbers and was totally detached from them. He adopted this conscious change after realizing that obsession with results had negatively affected his performance. This changed mindset helps Arjun recover quickly from setbacks and move on to the next game.
2. Divya's domination continues...
We are halfway through 2024, and it’s clear that the year belonged to Indian youngsters! Among them, Divya Deshmukh was delivering stellar performances in back-to-back tournaments. She won the World Junior Champion 2024 Girls title with an impressive score of 10/11. After Humpy, Harika, and Soumya, Divya became the fourth Indian to achieve this title. Despite being the top seed by a significant margin and being the favorite to win, she remained focused and not overconfident or distracted to avoid unexpected mistakes.
2. Discipline, Dedication, and Diet!
Aravindh Chithambaram’s journey to crossing the 2700 rating mark was a challenging one. He was stuck around 2600 for quite a long time, he faced several setbacks, including a dip in his rating during the pandemic. Yet, he remained determined and continuously strived for professionalism in all aspects of his career; from preparation to fitness. After his performance in the French league, he finally crossed the 2700 rating mark. As mentioned by Aravindh, lack of discipline hindered his growth on and off the chessboard. Once he started improving on this, he started seeing the results. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining health and fitness, which plays a huge role in a player’s journey.
3. Kids these days…
The 26th Asian Youth Chess Championships 2024 was held from 10th to 20th June at the Almaty Sports Palace in Kazakhstan. How could our players not shine at this high-level event? 650 players from 33 countries competed against each other in Standard, Rapid, and Blitz formats.
Individual Classical
Group | Name | Rank | Points | Interview |
U-8 Open | Sarbartho Mani | 2nd | 7/9 | Click here |
U-8 Girls | Narayani Umesh Marathe | 1st | 7.5/9 | Click here |
Nakshatra Gumudavelly | 3rd | 6.5/9 | Click here | |
U-10 Open | Siddhanth Poonja | 3rd | 7/9 | Click here |
Aaradhya Das | 3rd | 6.5/9 | Click here | |
U-12 Girls | Pratitee Bordoloi | 2nd | 7.5/9 | Click here |
U-16 Open | Ragavesh Velavaa | 3rd | 6.5/9 | Click here |
U-18 Open | Harsh Suresh | 3rd | 6.5/9 | Click here |
Individual Rapid
Group | Name | Rank | Score | Interview |
U-8 Girls | Narayani Umesh Marathe | 1st | 6/7 | Click here |
U-10 Girls | Pooja Shree R | 1st | 6/7 | Click here |
U-12 Open | Siddhanth Poonja | 2nd | 6/7 | Click here |
U-12 Girls | Pratitee Bordoloi | 1st | 6.5/7 | Click here |
Group | Name | Rank | Points | Interview |
U-8 Open | Sarbartho Mani | 1st | 7.5/9 | Click here |
U-10 Open | Advik Amit Agrawal | 2nd | 8/9 | Click here |
U-14 Open | Sriram Adarsh Uppala | 2nd | 7.5/9 | Click here |
U-14 Girls | Shreya G Hipparagi | 3rd | 6.5/9 | Click here |
Group | Name | Rank | Points |
U-8 Open | Sarbartho Mani Hriday Garg Kavish Palaniappan | 2nd | 7.5/9 5.5/9 5.5/9 |
U-10 Girls | Bijesh Divi Aaradhya Das Kiyana Parihar | 1st | 7/9 6.5/9 6.5/9 |
U-12 Girls | Pratitee Bordoloi Siddhi Rao Pavithra R | 3rd | 6.5/9 6/9 4.5/9 |
U-14 Open | Sriram Adarsh Uppala Viresh Sharnarthi Raghav V | 2nd | 7.5/9 6/9 6/9 |
U-16 Open | Samyak Dharewa Daksh Goyal Pranay Akula | 3rd | 5.5/9 5/9 4.5/9 |
U-18 Open | IM Harsh Suresh FM Ritvik Krishnan FM Gaurang Bagwe | 2nd | 6.5/9 6/9 5.5/9 |
These results only confirm India’s growing dominance in the global chess arena!
July
1. Victory is ageless
The Indian legend Viswanathan Anand again showed why he is a timeless icon by winning the León Masters for the 10th time! Even at this stage of his career, he continues to inspire and make everyone proud by his achievements. However, this victory carried a special motivation for the five-time World Champion. He won the title on his wife’s birthday; reflecting on the moment, Anand said:
“There was a time when I lost like a baby on her birthday. So, I was really hoping not to do that again this time.”
Even Champions cherish the small, personal victories!
2. The future looks bright!
The World Cup for young players was inaugurated last year at Batumi, Georgia. Among the Indian players, Pratitee Bordoloi secured a Silver medal in the U-10 Girls category. This was her back-to-back success after the Asian Youth Chess Championship. Her journey to the podium was a tough battle, as the match went into Blitz tie-breaks after a rapid tie-break. Also, the World Cup was scheduled immediately after the Asian event, because of which she hardly had any time to rest. Yet she fought hard and won a Silver medal!
Sattwik Swain clinched the Bronze medal in the U-8 Open section. This little boy started playing chess in 2022 and within 3 years, he secured a medal in such a big tournament! His best piece of advice which he follows properly, is to play patiently and confidently. This was clearly seen in his games as he did not lose his calm even when under time pressure. Considering Gukesh as his idol, Sattwik’s journey has just started and he definitely has a bright future ahead!
3. Talents to look out for
The 34th National Under-17 Chess Championship 2024 was organized in Chandigarh in which 325 players from 22 states participated. The city is witnessing increased growth in chess activities as the shift has started towards competitive chess from casual chess.
In the Open section, Sriram Adarsh Uppala from Telangana emerged as the champion with an outstanding score of 9.5/11. He remained unbeaten with exceptional consistency and composure throughout the tournament. Sriram played with 99% accuracy in this tournament and his goal is to achieve 100% accuracy in his games.
In the Girls section, Tejaswini G emerged as the Champion with a score of 8/10 after tie-breaks. She was tied at the top with four other players; despite that competition, she maintained her calm composure under pressure. After an intense fight, Tejaswini scored her first tournament victory of the year.
4. Punch + Lines
In India, ChessBoxing came into limelight because of Sneha Waykar. She became the first female champion in the Intellectual Fight Club (IFC) 6 Chessboxing event. Sneha dominated her opponent Kenza Megzari from France right from the start and emerged victorious after seven intense rounds alternating between chess and boxing. The current National Chessboxing Champion of India, Sneha entered the sport 6 years ago. Her performance in this hybrid sport has brought her several medals. She made every chess fan eager to give Chessboxing a try!
August
1. GM Sibling >>> Coach
Dinesh Rajan M convincingly won the Open A section of the 30th Abu Dhabi Chess Festival with an impressive score of 8/9. Despite facing a loss in the second round, he showed resilience and won seven games in a row. This result mirrored his performance in the previous edition in the Open B section. Can you believe that he doesn’t have a (formal) coach? He prepares with the help of his Grandmaster brother, GM Pranesh M! Dinesh’s style is to prepare openings and solve puzzles before the tournament. This tactics expert is on his way to becoming an International Master.
2. From setbacks to World Cup spot
Karthik Venkataraman made his mark by winning the 61st National Chess Championship 2024. He finished with a score of 9/11 and remained undefeated. Despite not feeling fully confident, Karthik managed to win with the black pieces in the last game. The Champion expressed a mix of excitement and relief after securing the title since he had a challenging year with many setbacks. More importantly, this victory earned him a spot in the 2025 World Cup.
September
1. The Golden Touch!
India made history at the Chess Olympiad by winning double Gold with an outstanding performance. Indian Women’s team started as the top seed whereas Men’s team started as the second seed in the tournament. Both the teams were favorites to win the tournament, however, ‘winning’ was really a tough challenge to achieve. Despite facing a loss in the 8th round, the Women’s team made a terrific comeback to secure their victory. In addition to the Team Gold, Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal won the individual Gold on boards 3 and 4 respectively while D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi won individual Gold on boards 1 and 3 respectively. No doubt this was the ‘Golden moment’ of 2024!
October
1. Playing safe is so boring!
One of the most talked about Indian chess players of 2024 was Arjun Erigaisi. The entire nation was in awe of his performance throughout the year. On 24th October, the chess fans saw their much-awaited dream come true when Arjun crossed the 2800 mark. He became the second Indian player after Viswanathan Anand to cross 2800 in live ratings during the fifth round of the 39th European Chess Club Cup. What makes this achievement even more special is the path Arjun took - he chose to play in high-risk tournaments while staying detached from the results. This maestro is truly inspirational!
November
1. Aravindh’s Breakthrough Victory
Aravindh Chithambaram played and won his first super classical tournament last year - the 2nd Chennai Grand Masters. He had a difficult start at the tournament with 5 draws and was not in the race for the title. But everything changed after the 6th round, where he beat Arjun to fight for the top spot. After the intense tie-breaks, Aravindh was shocked to see his own victory! After all, his journey had been quite challenging over the past few years; 2024 brought a glimmer of hope as he began performing well in national and international tournaments. This victory was crucial for Aravindh as it opened the doors to top-level tournaments. A more challenging and exciting journey now lies ahead for him!
2. A Rating before Kindergarten!
Whenever you read about any chess player’s journey, you would notice that many of them started playing chess around 5, when a family member introduced them to the game. From there, they grow serious about chess, start winning tournaments, and eventually get their first rating within a couple of years. But have you ever heard of someone getting a FIDE rating at just 3 years old? Anish Sarkar from West Bengal became the youngest rated player at the age of 3 years 8 months 19 days! Born on 26th January 2021, Anish has already created a special place for himself in the chess world at such a young age. Check out this video to see how strong this 3-year-old prodigy is:
December
1. A victory we will tell for generations
D Gukesh had already made history by becoming the youngest-ever World Championship Challenger. The World Championship was the most anticipated event of the year as everyone was curious to see how Gukesh and Ding would perform. While Gukesh was considered the favorite, he had a very tough time defeating Ding Liren. On one hand, everyone was moved to see Ding’s comeback and on the other, Gukesh’s confidence was winning hearts! After a long emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausting fight, the 18-year-old achieved his and every Indian chess fan’s dream - Gukesh becoming the Youngest World Champion ever!
This World Championship was historic in many ways. When the new World Champion got emotional after the victory, fans were celebrating like crazy! Everyone was chanting “Gukesh! Gukesh!” at the top of their lungs!
This was also the first time that a chess commentary with a live audience was taking place in India. The excitement and number of people at the Habitat grew with each passing round. Everyone present at the venue will keep reminiscing those memories again and again for sure.
As Gukesh has started the next chapter in his career, we all are eager to see how he will shape the future of chess. His victory is a perfect example of ‘Dream big and aim high’. One thing is for sure: Earlier the chess scene in the country was booming, and now it will just EXPLODE.
2. Resilience always wins!
The 37th National Under-13 Champions took place in Durgapur, West Bengal from 17th to 23rd December 2024. Reyan Md from Bihar won the title in the Open section while Saranya Devi Narahari won the title in the Girls section.
Reyan Md from Bihar faced a setback in the penultimate round with a loss which made him lose hope for a while, but his mother encouraged him to stay calm and focused. With this approach, he decided to play the last round just for fun, without thinking much about the result. To his surprise, his strategy paid off as he managed to win. This boy has the potential to become the first GM from Bihar and achieve even greater heights!
Saranya Devi Narahari started playing chess just three years ago but has already won several medals. The former Telangana State U-13 Girls Champion came with the intention of winning the tournament. She managed to bounce back stronger after a heartbreaking loss in the 6th round. Clearly, her resilience helped her to win the next 5 games and thereby the title with a score of 9/11.
3. 2024’s last move: Indian Women’s checkmate!
All these achievements highlight one champion quality - Resilience after a setback! Indian top female chess player Koneru Humpy showed the same quality in the year's last tournament. She faced a few setbacks at the World Rapid Chess Championship which made her question her winning chances. But, she refused to give up, seized the opportunity in later rounds, and secured some major wins. In an interview after her victory, Humpy spoke about challenges she faced like jet lag and sleep deprivation; yet she fought hard and ultimately won a crucial title!
Apart from that, R Vaishali shared a Bronze medal with Kateryna Lagno (RUS) at the World Blitz Chess Championship. The medal came as a pleasant surprise for her. Before the quarter-finals, Vaishali mentioned in an interview with FIDE:
I don't think I am a great Blitz player honestly. There are many strong players playing here. Today, I was just lucky in many games. It just worked out.
It's quite interesting to hear this statement, especially after her win against Valentina Gunina in which she made 23 moves with seven seconds or less on the clock! At one point, Vaishali offered a draw which her opponent declined... maybe a decision she must have regretted after the game ended in Vaishali's favor.