R Vaishali reveals how a 19-year-old from Chennai helped her achieve Candidates dream: 'He has been super supportive'

Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali scripted history by winning the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 and booking her place in the World Chess Championship. Her journey to the title was not easy, but it turned into a remarkable comeback story as she became the first Indian woman to win the prestigious Candidates event.

Vaishali sealed the title in Cyprus with a crucial final-round victory over Kateryna Lagno of Russia. She finished with 8.5 points and will now challenge reigning world champion Ju Wenjun later this year. After her historic win, Vaishali revealed that 19-year-old Grandmaster Pranesh Munirethinam played a key role in her success.

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Speaking to ChessBase India, she said that the idea to bring Pranesh along for the tournament came from her coach RB Ramesh and WGM Aarthie Ramaswamy. The goal was to help her stay relaxed during high-pressure moments, and Ramesh believed the jolly nature of Pranesh could help with it.

"It was basically Ramesh sir and Aarthie aunty’s idea to take Pranesh to Candidates because he is a very nice and funny person to be around. There were a lot of high-pressure moments and tough games. Even after those games, whenever I went to his room, he would just say ‘It was ok akka,’ and that really helped me stay calm,” she explained.

Vaishali also highlighted that Pranesh was not just there for emotional and mental support but also contributed to her game preparation. "He has been super supportive throughout the tournament, and we also spent time playing table tennis and padel," she added.

Who is Pranesh Munirethinam?

Pranesh is one of India’s rising chess talents. He earned his first GM norm at the Delhi GM Open in 2020. In 2022, he registered an impressive win over Aravindh Chithambaram at the Asian Continental Championship. The following year, he won the Rilton Cup, becoming India’s 79th Grandmaster.

He has also represented Indian Yogis in the PRO Chess League and continued his rise by winning the Challengers section at the Chennai Grand Masters 2025, in which Vaishali also took part but suffered a horrendous campaign.