An open chess meetup by Chennai Chess Club draws players to Anna Nagar Tower Park | Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B Last week, one of the most exciting stories in the sports pages of the newspaper was Grandmaster R Vaishali’s triumph at the Candidates Tournament in Pegeia, Cyprus, on April 15. The Chennai-based chess player became the first Indian woman to win this prestigious event which was established in 1952. With this landmark victory, Vaishali is now set to become only the second Indian woman to compete in the World Championship — an accomplishment that is no mean feat. Would it be a stretch to say that the city she is from has played an integral role in her life? Not really, considering that of the 83 grandmasters in India, 29 are from Tamil Nadu. From this subset, it is reported that 15 are from one Chennai school, Velammal Vidyalaya in Mogappair — Vaishali’s alma mater. Published – April 22, 2026 01:26 pm IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation BMTC to add independent external monitoring layer to smart ticketing system as 11,000 ETMs rolled out Trump extends Iran ceasefire as talks stall, but blockade of Hormuz to continue