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R Vaishali Age, Boyfriend, Family, Biography & More

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Hometown: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Marital Status: Unmarried
Age: 21 Years

R Vaishali

Bio/Wiki
ProfessionStudent and Chess Player
Physical Stats & More
Eye ColourBlack
Hair ColourBlack
Career
Debut2016: When she received the Woman International Master (WIM) title
Title2021: International Master
2018: Woman Grandmaster
2016: Woman International Master
2013: Woman FIDE Master (WFM)
Award9 January 2024: Arjuna Award
9 January 2024: R Vaishali while receiving the Arjuna Award from the President of India Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
Personal Life
Date of Birth21 June 2001 (Thursday)
Age (as of 2022)21 Years
BirthplaceChennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Zodiac signCancer
NationalityIndian
HometownChennai, Tamil Nadu, India
SchoolVelammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Chennai
College/UniversityM.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai
Educational Qualification2022: Bachelor's of Commerce from M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai
Relationships & More
Marital StatusUnmarried
Family
Husband/SpouseN/A
ParentsFather- Rameshbabu (empolyed at Tamil Nadu State Corporation Bank as a branch manager)
Mother- Nagalakshmi (homemaker)
R. Vaishali with her parents and younger brother
SiblingsYounger Brother- R Praggnanandhaa (Chess Grandmaster)

R Vaishali

 

Some Lesser Known Facts About R Vaishali

  • R. Vaishali is an Indian chess player. She holds the FIDE titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). The noted Indian Chess Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa is her younger brother.
  • In 2012, R Vaishali won the Under-12 Girls’ World Youth Chess Championship organised in Maribor, Slovenia.

    Vaishali received the World under-12 Champion's trophy in 2012

    Vaishali received the World under-12 Champion’s trophy in 2012

  • R Vaishali’s initial training in chess began under the guidance of coach S Thiyagarajan.

    Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa with Coach Thiyagarajan

    Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa with Coach Thiyagarajan

  • In 2014, R Vaishali along with her brother started practising chess with Grandmaster R.B. Ramesh.

    Pragg and Vaishali with GM R.B. Ramesh

    Pragg and Vaishali with GM R.B. Ramesh

  • In 2015, R Vaishali was the winner of the Under-14 Girls’ World Youth Chess Championship, and during the same championships, her brother, Praggnanandhaa, also won the World U-10 title.

    R Vaishali and her brother in after winning the World Youth Chess Championship in 2015

    R Vaishali and her brother in after winning the World Youth Chess Championship in 2015

  • In her childhood, R Vaishali used to watch a lot of television. To distract her from watching the television, her parents decided to put her in chess and drawing coaching. In an interview with a media house, she narrated that once, she clinched the youngest participant prize in chess, which motivated her to carry on the game throughout her life. R Vaishali said,

    When I was 6 or 7 years old, I used to watch a lot of TV, so my parents decided to put me in chess and drawing classes near our home. Then, I just went for a tournament and got the youngest participant prize in my first event.”

    A childhood picture of R Vaishali with her brother

    A childhood picture of R Vaishali with her brother

  • In 2013, when R Vaishali was 12 years old, she competed with Magnus Carlsen, who arrived in India for a customary check of the arrangements and decided to play against twenty junior players from India. She defeated Magnus Carlsen in a chess match, which was a moment of shock for him.

    R Vaishali during a chess competition

    R Vaishali during a chess competition

  • R Vaishali earned the Woman International Master (WIM) title in 2016. Upon winning this title, she was ranked in the second position in India and twelfth in the world in the U16-player category.
  • On 12 August 2018, R Vaishali participated in the Riga Technical University Open chess tournament in Riga, Latvia and won the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title. In the same year, she was chosen as the Best woman player at Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival.

    R Vaishali after being chosen as the Best woman player at Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival in 2018

    R Vaishali after being chosen as the Best woman player at Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival in 2018

  • According to her parents, R Vaishali’s school and college administration helped her a lot during her chess competition tournaments. Reportedly, before clearing the twelfth standard examinations, her college offered her admission into a graduation course.
  • In 2020, R Vaishali competed in an Online Olympiad in a team event and won a gold medal. This was the first time when an Indian team won a gold medal in an online Olympiad.

    A newspaper article on Vaishali when she won a gold medal in 2020

    A newspaper article on Vaishali when she won a gold medal in 2020

  • Her father was affected by polio in his childhood. In a media conversation, R Vaishali stated that her father could not accompany her during her foreign tours but he looked after the arrangements including travel tickets, accommodation etc.
  • In her leisure time, R Vaishali likes listening to music, playing badminton with her brother Prag and cycling.
  • In 2021, R Vaishali earned the International Master (IM) title.

    Vaishali with former World Championship Challenger Boris Gelfand and former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik at the Microsense training camp in Chennai

    Vaishali with former World Championship Challenger Boris Gelfand and former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik at the Microsense training camp in Chennai

  • According to R Vaishali, her brother is a Chess Grandmaster who always guides her during her tournaments. In 2021, in a conversation with a media house, she stated that he often clarified her chess doubt by making it easy for her. R Vaishali said,

    My brother, he’s 15 years old and is a Grandmaster. He is a huge-huge support for me. In terms of chess, he will clarify whatever doubts that I have and make it very easy (for me). Of course, we fight a lot but when we work on chess its always interesting and I get to learn a lot.”

    R Vaishali and her younger brother while discussing chess doubts

    R Vaishali and her younger brother while discussing chess doubts

  • In 2022, R Vaishali competed in the 8th Fischer Memorial and won her second Grandmaster norm by scoring 7.0/9. In the same year, she competed in the FIDE Women’s Speed Chess Championship and defeated Bibisara Assaubayeva, a Women’s World Blitz Chess Champion, in the 16th round. During the quarterfinals of the same championships, R Vaishali was in the team of Harika Dronavalli, a renowned Indian chess player. On 10 August 2022, R Vaishali was a part of the first-ever Indian women’s team to win a bronze medal at an Olympiad organised in Tamil Nadu, India. Ukraine and Georgia clinched the gold and silver medals, respectively in the women’s section.

    (Clockwise from left) Tania Sachdev, Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali, and D Harika were part of the first Indian women's team to win a Chess Olympiad medal

    (Clockwise from left) Tania Sachdev, Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali, and D Harika were part of the first Indian women’s team to win a Chess Olympiad medal

  • Apart from her training from coach Ramesh, R Vaishali is also part of the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy, which trains and aids budding chess players in India. Being a part of this academy, she often receives guidance from the Grandmasters Artur Yusupov, Sandipan Chanda, and Grzegorz Gajewski, who are associated with this academy. Viswanathan Anand is the founder of this academy. Once, R Vaishali disclosed in a media interview that when she was in her second standard, Anand visited her school at an annual day function and that was the time when she saw him for the first time. She remembered,

    My inspiration has always been Anand sir. I remember in 1st or 2nd standard there was this thing where they used to invite sports champions for annual days in our school. It was the first time I saw him, and I didn’t know that I would get to train with him later.”

    Vaishali and Pragg with their idol at the Velammal School felicitation ceremony

    Vaishali and Pragg with their idol at the Velammal School felicitation ceremony