Sports · 17 April 2026
R Vaishali wins FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026
Exam-focused facts from the 17 April 2026 current affairs briefing.
Key facts
- Indian Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu won the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 held in Cyprus.
- Vaishali defeated Kateryna Lagno in the final round to secure the title and a spot in the Women’s World Championship match.
- She will challenge Ju Wenjun for the world title, becoming only the second Indian woman to do so after Koneru Humpy in 2011.
- Vaishali’s previous major victories include winning the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament twice and the Women’s Olympiad in 2024.
- Indian player Divya Deshmukh finished in the bottom two of the standings after drawing her final round match against Bibisara Assaubayeva.
- In the parallel Open Candidates tournament, Vaishali’s brother Praggnanandhaa finished in seventh place.