|
It was a historic day for Indian chess on Sunday as R. Vaishali and Vidit Gujrathi reigned supreme at the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament. The wins mean both Indians, Vaishali and Vidit, have also qualified for the 2024 Candidates tournament. Vaishali won the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss title after playing out a draw with Mongolia's Batkhuyag Mungutuul in the 11th and final round. With 8.5 points to her credit, Vaishali took top honours and a prize money of USD 25,000 USD (over Rs. 20 lakh). It marks a special victory for Vaishali as along with her younger brother Praggnanandhaa, they become the first brother-sister duo to qualify for the respective Candidates tournament. The Candidates holds prime importance as they serve as the qualification tournaments which determine the challengers for the World Chess Championship. The winner of the Candidates earns the right to play in the World Championship against the current world champion. Vaishali is also closing in on another milestone: she is just a few points away from becoming India's third female Grandmaster. On Sunday, she went for the complexities yet again but met with stiff resistance from Mungutuul. It looked like the Indian dominated the proceedings, but the advantage fizzled out as Munguttul opened up a file on the queen's side. The game was drawn in just 34 moves and Vaishali became the first Indian to win the Grand Swiss tournament. In the open section, Grandmaster Vidit continued his dazzling run and got past Alexandr Predke with a fine display in the final round. After entering an endgame as early as move seven, Vidit held on to seal the win. The Indian had beaten Deac Bogdan-Daniel of Romania in a one-sided affair in the 10th round. He employed the Sicilian defence to show his intentions for a complex battle. Bogdan-Daniel fell prey to a tactical shot and lost a pawn and thereon the Indian was a perfect picture of composure as he improved slowly and wrapped up the full point. Speaking to FIDE post the event, Vidit said, "Without a doubt, this is the highlight of my career so far! It had been a really long time since I had won any tournament, even rapid or blitz. So, to win such a strong event, it will take something like winning the FIDE Candidates to top it."
|
