Total Chess: Women vs elite GMs? Vaishali answers with wins over So, Niemann
India's Vaishali Rameshbabu made an early statement at the inaugural Total Chess tournament in Budapest, defeating in-form Wesley So and Hans Niemann in the nine-round blitz event. One of only two women in the 24-player field, Vaishali offered an emphatic answer to questions about women competing against elite grandmasters, ahead of the demanding group stage.
India's Vaishali Rameshbabu made an impressive debut at the inaugural Total Chess pilot tournament in Budapest, defeating American grandmasters Hans Niemann and Wesley So in her first two rounds. The Indian chess prodigy finished the nine-round blitz event with four points out of nine, demonstrating her potential to challenge the world's top players. Competing alongside her was Kazakhstani player Bibisara Assaubayeva, making her the only other female participant in the 24-player field.
Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian world number one, showcased his dominance by securing an unbeaten streak and clinching the first place in the tournament. The five-time classical world champion earned seven points out of nine, while French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Armenian-American Levon Aronian secured the second and third positions, respectively.
The tournament's unique rules make the results crucial for determining tiebreaks, knockout pairings, and the color of the board in the upcoming knockout games. In the upcoming Fast Classic format, the 24 participants will be divided into four groups of six players, and only the group winners will advance to the main championship knockout bracket.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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