With her place secured in the Women’s World Chess Championship, Vaishali Rameshbabu acknowledged the significant support she received from a network of grandmasters that played a crucial role in her journey. Their guidance, both minor and substantial, has enabled her to become the first Indian woman in 15 years to earn a direct opportunity to compete for the title of world champion.
While she plans to keep the identities of her support team private until after her championship match against Ju Wenjun, it is clear that their contributions were vital.
Among those who significantly influenced Vaishali’s success in the Candidates tournament is five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand. He chose her as one of the first players to join his Westbridge Anand Chess Academy and has served as her mentor, encouraging her to collaborate with fellow grandmaster Sandipan Chanda, with whom she worked closely leading up to the Candidates competition.
Another key figure in her development is RB Ramesh, a grandmaster who has been a mentor to both Vaishali and her brother, R Praggnanandhaa, for over ten years. His guidance has been instrumental in shaping her career.
Additionally, 19-year-old Pranesh emerged as a source of moral support during the Candidates tournament, particularly while Praggnanandhaa was focused on his own campaign in Cyprus. In a post-victory interview with ChessBase India, Vaishali highlighted Pranesh’s ability to uplift her spirits during a highly stressful competition. It was Ramesh’s suggestion to bring Pranesh along to Cyprus to help maintain a light atmosphere amidst the tension. “He’s a fun person to be around, and we anticipated many tense moments during the Candidates,” Vaishali shared with ChessBase India. “Even after challenging games, Pranesh would reassure me with ‘it’s okay, akka!’ His presence was more about mental support, which proved beneficial as I tend to get anxious before matches.”
Instead of focusing solely on chess, Pranesh engaged Vaishali in table tennis and paddle to help relieve stress. Although this was his first experience as a second, witnessing the Candidates tournament up close could provide valuable insights for his own future in chess.
Vaishali recalled, “We also played some blitz games while I was experimenting with openings,” laughing as she added, “Throughout the tournament, he was always looking for rest days.”
While Pranesh took on the role of the cheerful younger sibling, grandmaster Adhiban Bhaskaran, back in India, provided the comforting support of an older brother, consistently encouraging Vaishali that everything would turn out well. “Anna was a big help, not in terms of preparation, but I spoke to him every day during the Candidates,” she noted.
However, she chose not to disclose the details of her actual support team, the group of seconds who worked diligently behind the scenes. “For now, I keep their names secret,” she said with a smile.
Amit Kamath is the Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Mumbai. His primary focus is on chess and Olympic sports, and he co-hosts the Game Time podcast, a weekly feature from Express Sports. He also writes a weekly chess column titled On The Moves.
