After Pragg, his ser moves to challenge world chess champion | Chess News

WHEN Rameshbabu starts talking about how chess became an inextricable part of his family, he starts with the story of his daughter’s love for cartoon shows when she was a pre-teen. To wean her off television, he sent her to a chess school. And he followed the same plan for his younger son, who was also an animation fan.A decade later, what started as a draction for his children and turned into a hob has now become an obsession. The two have become the world’s most-celebrated chess siblings.
Months after R Praggnanandhaa, 18, secured a spot at the Candidates Tournament — an event to decide the challenger to the world champion — his ser, Vaishali R, 22, has followed the same path.

On Sunday, in the Isle of Man, Vaishali claimed a victory in the women’s category of the FIDE Grand Swiss event to make it to the women’s Candidates Tournament. Securing her third GM norm in a month, she is just three points away from the 2500 rating to be a Grandmaster like her brother.
In the coming days, the siblings, who once fought for the TV remote control to watch cartoon shows, will be plotting together to stake their claim to be on top of the world chess summit.
“It’s a great day for us… for the first time, a brother and ser are competing at the Candidates. For Vaishali, her chess career started as a draction from TV, and see where they have reached now,” Rameshbabu, the branch manager at a Chennai bank, told The Indian Express.
Brother Pragg, too, was happy with the success of his elder ser and first teacher. “I am in a celebratory mood… I am happy to see that the results are finally coming… I am happy to see that she is finally where she belongs,” he said.
For Vaishali, who balances academics while chasing her chess career, the result came as a surprise. “This tournament is the biggest win in my career so far. I started as the 12th seed. I didn’t come here with many expectations,” the post-graduate student told FIDE’s social media channel.
When Vaishali recalls her chess journey, Pragg always finds a mention. “I started playing chess first… When I used to play at home, Pragg would come and durb me. So my parents got a second chess set at home,” she told FIDE.
She has often spoken of how she likes to play “aggressive and exciting chess”. “But away from the board, as a person, I am an introvert. I don’t socialise much. I prefer my close circle. I like to be in my own space,” she said.
Their early introduction to India’s reputed coach and Grandmaster R B Ramesh was a major influencing factor for the young chess enthusiasts. Their father said Ramesh proved to be more than a coach, or even a mentor. “A guide, he’s a philosopher (for the players),” he said.Most Read
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When the siblings first went to Ramesh for coaching, it was Vaishali who was a few hundred rating points ahead of her brother. “Both were already practising six to eight hours a day when I started working with them. They were very hard-working, not to mention ambitious. She was the better player then, older with a higher rating. But a few years on, Pragg made rapid growth and overtook her,” Ramesh told The Indian Express.
“Vaishali has been very successful from a very young age. She’s won the World under-14 title besides many national titles in the age-category levels. She has won many other events at the world level. But in between, for two or three years, there was a slowdown, which is natural,” he said.
“At one point in her career, it was bothering her a little that her younger brother was rising so fast,” said Ramesh, quickly adding that the siblings have always had a healthy rivalry. “They help each other during tournaments. They practise a lot at home. Recently, Pragg has tried to help her with preparations… giving her opening ideas and so on. It’s always good to have a strong player at home to help you,” he said.