India’s Grandmaster R. Vaishali clinched the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 held in Cyprus.
She secured the title by defeating Russia’s Kateryna Lagno in the final round and finished with 8.5 points out of 14.
With this historic victory, Vaishali has earned the right to challenge reigning world champion JWenjun for the Women’s World Chess Championship later this year.
Other Key Facts:
Governing body of chess: FIDE
Vaishali became a Grandmaster in 2024
She is the sister of R Praggnanandhaa
Current Women’s World Champion: JWenjun (China)
FIDE:
Formation: July 20, 1924
Founder: Pierre Vincent
Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
President: Arkady Dvorkovich
Deputy President: Viswanathan Anand
UPSC - 2027 - Prelims cum Mains - Foundation Course / Batch Starts on 15-04-2026 
