Indian chess prodigy R Vaishali scripted a memorable finish to 2024, clinching a bronze medal in the women’s section of the World Blitz Championship on Wednesday.
Vaishali’s journey in the tournament included a quarterfinal triumph over China’s Zhu Jiner and a hard-fought semifinal loss to Ju Wenjun, the eventual champion.
Vaishali showcased strategic brilliance throughout the championship. In the quarterfinals, she outmanoeuvred Zhu Jiner in a tense 2.5-1.5 victory, securing her place among the world’s elite. However, her campaign for the gold ended in the semifinals, where she faced the formidable Ju Wenjun of China.
Despite her best efforts, Vaishali was outplayed 0.5-2.5 by Ju, who later claimed the world title with a thrilling 3.5-2.5 win over compatriot Lei Tingjie in the final.
Vaishali’s achievement drew high praise from Indian chess legend and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand. Currently serving as the Vice President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
“Congratulations to Vaishali for taking bronze. Her qualification was truly a power-packed performance. Our Waca Chess mentee (WestBridge Anand Chess Academy) has done us proud. We are so happy to be supporting her and her chess,” Anand posted on X.
He also lauded Koneru Humpy for her title-winning performance in the rapid event, “What a way to wrap up 2024.
In 2021, we thought we would get stronger chess players but here we have it: a World Champion (Humpy) and a Bronze medallist (Vaishali)!” Anand added.
The women’s section of the World Blitz Championship was dominated by Chinese players, with Ju Wenjun and Lei Tingjie contesting the final. Ju, known for her tactical acumen, edged past Lei in a close match to secure the title.
The ‘Open’ section at the World Blitz Championship concluded with high drama, as Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi shared the Open title after an intense tiebreak match,
Carlsen started the day with an early loss to Hans Niemann but then overcame him and raced by Jan-Krzystof Duda to reach the finals. On the other side of the bracket, Ian Nepomniachtchi displayed strength and resilience, defeating newly crowned Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin and outlasting Wesley So in a tense semifinal tiebreak.
In the final, Carlsen was on the brink of victory after taking a 2-0 lead in a four-game match. Nepomniachtchi, however, mounted a dramatic comeback, winning the next two games in style, to level the score. The ensuing tiebreaks featured three razor-sharp, exhausting battles, with neither player able to gain a decisive advantage with the score standing at 3.5-3.5 points.
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