Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali has won the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026. With this victory she becomes the official challenger for the Women's World Chess Championship, where she will face the reigning women's world champion for the title. The Candidates event decides who earns the right to contest the world crown, making her triumph one of the biggest achievements for Indian women's chess.
- Player: GM R Vaishali (India)
- Event: FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026
- Result: challenger for the Women's World Chess Championship