R Vaishali wins FIDE Grand Swiss title, calls her mom on stage to receive trophy: ‘Most proud mother of the country’

In a heartwarming moment, Vaishali celebrated her victory by calling her mother onto the stage and receiving the winner’s trophy from her hands.

By: Trends Desk

New Delhi | September 16, 2025 09:33 AM IST

3 min read

This year, Vaishali finished with six wins, one loss, and four draws, collecting 8 points out of 11 (Image source: @ChessbaseIndia/X)

India’s R Vaishali officially secured her place in the prestigious Candidates Tournament after a phenomenal performance at the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss 2025. The 22-year-old Grandmaster sealed her spot with a final-round draw against former World Champion Zhongyi Tan of China.

In a heartwarming moment, Vaishali celebrated her victory by calling her mother onto the stage and receiving the winner’s trophy from her hands. The mother-daughter moment won hearts on social media. Sharing the video, an X handle @ChessbaseIndia wrote, “What a proud moment for the mother! 2 time Women’s Grand Swiss Champion @chessvaishal.”

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The video quickly went viral, amassing a wave of congratulatory messages. “Proud moment for any parent. The girl has brought laurels to the nation,” a user wrote. “Winning Grand Swiss twice is probably harder than winning Candidates. Incredible achievement,” another user commented.

“It’s not just a mother’s pride. Look how happy and proud Pragg is of his sister’s victory. You don’t always see such strong bonds between siblings,” a third user reacted.

Vaishali was joined at the venue by her mother and younger brother, GM R Praggnanandhaa. The achievement marks Vaishali’s second consecutive Grand Swiss title, following her win in the Isle of Man, United Kingdom, in 2013.

Also Read | How Vaishali conquered chess’s unforgiving Swiss format to defend FIDE Grand Swiss title and qualify for Candidates

This year, Vaishali finished with six wins, one loss, and four draws, collecting 8 points out of 11. Although Russian GM Kateryna Lagno also ended with the same score after a quick final-round draw with Azerbaijan’s Ulviyya Fataliyeva, Vaishali edged her out on tie-breaks.

The two Grandmasters, Vaishali and Lagno, are the official qualifiers from the Women’s Grand Swiss for the Candidates Tournament. Only eight players in total qualify for the Candidates, making this result a major career milestone.

Meanwhile, in the open section, Dutch GM Anish Giri took the title after defeating American GM Hans Moke Niemann in the final round, also finishing on 8/11. Matthias Bluebaum of Germany is likely to claim the second candidate’s spot, pending official tie-break confirmation

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