Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa make history as the first-ever brother-sister duo to become Grandmasters

“I am very happy to finally completed the title. It’s just two rounds. I am also focusing on the tournament. But I am really happy with the GM title,” told Chess.com.

“I’ve finally achieved a goal of mine since I started playing chess. I was so close to it so, I was really excited but there was some pressure as well. My game was not so good in the middle but somehow, I managed to win.

“I have qualified for the candidates and hopefully win this tournament.”

With this achievement, Vaishali and her younger brother, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, have become the first-ever Grandmaster siblings pair in history. They also become the first-ever brother-sister duo to make the Candidates.

Finally 👏🏻 the 3rd Grandmaster of the country @chessvaishali Hope this is just a beginning for the rise of Indian women’s chess🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/mQpobQY88G

— Harika Dronavalli (@HarikaDronavali) December 2, 2023

Vaishali’s journey in chess has intertwined with that of her brother Praggnanandhaa. The two have consistently achieved parallel success, earning matching medals in various competitions, such as the double Bronze in the Olympiad and double Silver in the Asian Games.

Hearty congratulations to @chessvaishali for becoming the latest female who earned the Grandmaster title! This is an amazing feat for her and brother @rpragchess, world’s first sister-brother Grandmaster duo!

Also a big congratulations to super coach @Rameshchess! Proud moment… pic.twitter.com/HCYNLCi3SL

— Susan Polgar (@SusanPolgar) December 1, 2023

Vaishali was introduced to chess by her father, Rameshbabu, who himself was an avid chess player.

Recognising his daughter’s potential, he put her for chess coaching from the age of five. She quickly progressed, winning several state and national-level tournaments in her age category.

One of the earliest moves that spurred the progress of Vaishali and Pragg was to get them to train under grandmaster RB Ramesh. The siblings — dispatched very early on to Chennai’s Bloom Chess Academy — had already learnt the basic nuances of the sport at the academy. But now they needed someone to chisel their minds and help them navigate the treacherous paths of the 64 squares.

Amazing news! Congratulations @chessvaishali for becoming India’s latest Grand Master ! Proud of you! Huge team effort! Sandipan, @vishy64theking , @WacaChess , RAMCO group Mr. Venkatram Raja, @KanikaSubbiah , the parents , Bloom chess academy and so many more. This coming on the…

— Ramesh RB (@Rameshchess) December 1, 2023

“Both of them were already practising six to eight hours a day back when I started working with them. They were very hardworking, not to mention ambitious. She was a better player back then, older with a higher rating. But a few years on, Pragg made rapid growth and overtook her,” Ramesh had told The Indian Express.

In 2015, Vaishali made her mark on the international chess scene by winning the Asian Youth Chess Championships in the under-14 girls’ category. It was also during this time that she received the title of International Master (IM).

She may have taken right years to go from an International Master to getting her third GM norm, but just like her brother, she’s could well rewrite the history books.