The Indian siblings making waves in the chess arena
Over the past ten years, India's Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has emerged as a standout chess prodigy. At the young age of 10, he achieved the status of the youngest International Master at the time, a title only surpassed by that of Grandmaster.
In 2018, he achieved the status of being the second youngest Grandmaster. He also triumphed over five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen in three consecutive online matches. He is the second Indian, following Viswanathan Anand, to reach the World Cup final and secure a place in the Candidates tournament.
As this situation developed, another family member who plays chess, Praggnanandhaa's elder sister Vaishali, patiently waited for her chance. She is four years older than him.
Vaishali is the first in her family to engage in chess, and her talent and hard work are unquestionable. She has now broken India's 12-year drought, being only the third woman to hold the title of Grandmaster, following Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli. This achievement also marks her and her brother as the first ever sibling duo to both become Grandmasters in chess.
In November, Vaishali, who is only 22 years old, emerged victorious against three previous women's world champions in the Women's Grand Swiss tournament. This triumph secured her spot in the Women's Candidates tournament.
The relationship in chess is exceptionally prosperous. The part of sibling competition is impossible to ignore.
"Upon Pragg's achievement of being the youngest International Master, he surpassed my score for the first time. This shifted all attention to him at home," Vaishali shared with BBC. "It bothered me. I believe I didn't handle those feelings effectively," she admits, further stating that this situation negatively affected her gameplay.
My folks and I would discuss it and I'd feel fine temporarily. However, whenever he achieved something remarkable and all eyes were on him, I'd find myself feeling somewhat gloomy again. It took me a while to conquer these emotions and acknowledge his extraordinary abilities. After securing my Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title, my self-esteem improved. In recent years, I've only felt pride for his accomplishments. I recognize the effort he puts into it," she shares.
As children starting their training with Grandmaster RB Ramesh, Vaishali was initially the better-ranked player out of the two. However, as time went on, their progress in the game diverged and was frequently marked by feelings of jealousy from the one trailing behind.
"Being the sibling in the background is always a challenge," Ramesh expresses. Until recently, during the World Cup in August, the press would often gather at their residence in hordes following every significant achievement of Praggnanandhaa. They would question Vaishali about her experiences as his sister or inquire from their parents about the pride they felt for their son.
"I believe she somehow turned it into stress in her mind. The stress to stand out and not be overlooked," Ramesh opines.
The desire to achieve the title of Grandmaster without fading into obscurity was evident in her perplexing initial game strategies. "I would watch her real-time matches and question why she chose certain plays. I could feel the anxiety and stress. Lately, she's been focusing on her strengths and it's paying off. The outcomes are evident," he states.
Over time, the bond between Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali has grown and strengthened, especially during the pandemic. Now, they are each other's most passionate supporters and trusted advisors.
Throughout the pandemic, our conversations took on a new depth, covering topics we had previously avoided. His self-assuredness and clear thinking is truly remarkable. Whenever I'm feeling uncertain or confused, I seek his guidance. More often than not, he provides the solutions I need," shares Vaishali.
"Not many people in the chess world have the luxury of a family member or an active player to review games and discuss chess with for long periods. I believe it's only now that we truly appreciate this advantage," she further comments.
During the Asian Games in October, Vaishali had Praggnanandhaa accompany her on a one-hour walk to clear her mind from a poor performance. While the rest of the Indian team managed to tie their individual games in the women's event, Vaishali's defeat to Tan Zhongyi led to India's loss against China.
She was overwhelmed with feelings of defeat and disillusionment, leading her to consider withdrawing from the upcoming Qatar Masters tournament. However, Praggnanandhaa convinced her to remain in the competition. In the end, this proved to be a beneficial decision as she ended up being one of the top female competitors in the tournament and she secured her third and ultimate Grandmaster norm.
During the subsequent Grand Swiss tournament, they utilized the same gaming area. Praggnanandhaa was observed strolling towards his sister's gaming board during her matches to check on her progress.
The siblings from India display contrasting personalities.
Praggnananandhaa is outgoing, enjoys having fun, and is socially confident. On the other hand, Vaishali is reserved, introspective, and tends to overanalyze situations. She has a tendency to be overly harsh on herself, a trait that is evident despite her significant victory at the Women's Grand Swiss and earning a spot in the Candidates qualification. Even with these achievements, Vaishali couldn't help but dwell on her slight miss at the GM title.
Praggnananandhaa has demonstrated exceptional defensive abilities and calm gameplay on the chessboard. Vaishali, on the other hand, is a determined aggressor capable of pursuing a strategy that may not be specifically recommended by chess software. She can give up several pieces, construct a maze of tactical intricacies, and overwhelm her adversary.
She completely outplayed International Master Leya Garifullina in the same way during the Women's Grand Swiss tournament. In a separate match at the same event, she decisively defeated ex-world champion Mariya Muzychuk in just 23 moves, after Muzychuk became overly ambitious, allowing the Indian player to launch a powerful offensive. Vaishali's absolute supremacy in the tournament, leaving no opponent untouched, was the most potent declaration of her emergence.
It's quite extraordinary to see the most talented male and female Indian chess players in the nation both hailing from the same family.
Dad Rameshbabu takes care of the arrangements and journey planning, while mom Nagalakshmi is the ever-watchful guardian who travels with both kids during lengthy competitions globally.
Their reputation isn't crafted through slick public relations efforts. Vaishali typically handles their social media presence, and Praggnanandhaa frequently turns to her for assistance with replying to emails. The operation resembles a family-owned start-up dedicated to mastering chess.
In 2012, Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa triumphed in the national competition and secured their spots in the Asian youth championships held in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka. At that time, the main worry for their family was gathering enough money to cover the travel costs for the three of them. They were successful in raising the required sum, and both siblings came back as winners – Vaishali in the under-12 girls category, and Praggnanandhaa in the under-8 boys group.
We've matured while garnering victories in various age-category competitions together. Lately, we both secured identical awards at the Olympiad and Asian Games. Currently, we're on our way to participate in the most significant competition we've ever faced together.
This is the sort of unique, thrilling tale that chess enthusiasts and authors eagerly anticipate to witness and document. It also piques the interest of others towards this brother-sister duo who are breaking records, defeating competitors and sharing secret grins.
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