Vaishali Rameshbabu currently holds an ELO rating that places her 13th in the global rankings, making her the eighth highest-rated competitor among the eight players in her category.

At the beginning of her journey, Vaishali aspired to achieve a rating of 2600. The top position is held by Women’s World No. 1 Yifan Hou, who is currently inactive and has a rating of 2596. Other prominent competitors from China include Lei Tingjie, World Champion Ju Wenjun at 2559, and Zhu Jinner, who is rated at 2546, occupying the top four spots.

Divya Deshmukh is ranked 12th with a rating of exactly 2500, while Russian player Aleksandra Goryachkina, whom Vaishali defeated, is the highest-ranked non-Chinese player at 2535. Zhu Jinner and Tan Zhongyi experienced the largest rating declines during the Candidates tournament.

Vaishali experienced a significant rating increase of 26 points following her victory in the Candidates tournament.

Remarkably, Vaishali secured just one fewer victory than the dominant Javokhir Sindarov, who gained 30 points through six wins. Vaishali achieved a total of 8.5 points, consisting of five wins, seven draws, and two losses. Zhu Jinner also recorded five wins but had four losses. Divya displayed a bold approach, resulting in two wins, seven draws, and five losses, while Bibisara Assaubayeva finished with four wins, eight draws, and two losses.

Both of Vaishali’s losses were to Zhu Jinner, a formidable adversary from the Chinese chess community.

In a critical moment, Vaishali discovered her winning strategy with less than a minute remaining in the time control.

Javokhir Sindarov has maintained an unbeaten streak in Classical chess since September, having played 50 games without a loss.

Judit Polgar commented on Vaishali’s performance, stating, “Vaishali has demonstrated remarkable persistence, fighting spirit, determination, and resilience. She achieved victory as the lowest-rated player, earning the championship title. Congratulations to her.”

(Data sourced from chess24.com and chess.com)