Asian Youth Chess Championships: 14-year-old from Chennai wins third title in 2 months

Chennai: Winning has become second nature to R. Vaishali, a ninth standard student of Velammal School in the city.

She retained the U-14 title at the Asian youth chess championship in South Korea on Monday by scoring eight points from nine rounds. It was Vaishali’s third crown in two months.

Emerging on top in South Korea wasn’t tough for Vaishali because the 14-year-old had gone there fresh after winning the national women’s challengers, an open event, and the national juniors (U-19).

GM R.B. Ramesh, the champion’s coach at Chess Gurukul, said hard work and an ability to bounce back from a defeat set Vaishali apart from her peers.

“In all the three tournaments Vaishali won titles recently, she lost one round at a crucial stage. Every time she overcame the setback to finish on top. It’s the hallmark of champions. Winning three tournaments on the trot is tough but Vaishali never gets tired of playing chess. She has the eagerness to learn and hunger to succeed,” he added.

According to Ramesh, Vaishali, a former world U-12 champion, has the potential to make a splash in international women’s chess.

“I believe she can go on to better the achievements of Humpy and Harika, who have set the benchmark for women’s chess in the country. With proper exposure, Vaishali can become a GM within two years or even earlier,” the coach said.

Vaishali’s younger brother, Prag, is also a capable chess player and he finished fourth in the U-10 category of the tournament in South Korea.