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Grandmaster R Vaishali secured her spot in the Women’s Candidates tournament 2026 by winning the Women’s Grand Swiss in Samarkand, a remarkable comeback after a disastrous performance in Chennai. Her brother, GM Praggnanandhaa, and her family played a crucial role in convincing her to participate, before fate intervened.

R Vaishali defended her FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss title in 2025, securing a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. She finished with 8 points after drawing against Tan Zhongyi. Vaishali joins Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh as the third Indian woman to qualify for the Candidates, marking a significant achievement for Indian women's chess.