Global Chess League: Vaishali R Prepares To Play Alongside Viswanathan Anand, Says ‘Will Be Very Special Event For Me’

New Delhi: Vaishali Rameshbabu, who earned the Grandmaster (GM) title in December 2023, is set to make her debut in the second season of the Global Chess League. The 23-year-old Grandmaster was among the top picks at the Global Chess League player draft held in August.

Expressing excitement about making her debut at the Global Chess League, Vaishali said, “I was thrilled to follow the first season; it was so much fun. I’m very excited to play in the Global Chess League this year, and I want to give my best to my team.”

The tournament will see legends like Viswanathan Anand her own brother R Praggnanandhaa competing. Speaking about playing alongside the Anand for Ganges Grandmasters and Praggnanandhaa’s team, Alpine SG Pipers, Vaishali was beaming with pride.

“This will be a very special event for me to play alongside Vishy sir in the same team. It is a wonderful opportunity for me. My brother Pragg is on Magnus Carlen’s team, which is great as well. Of course, we won’t compete against each other, but our teams are different,” she added.

“It is a very interesting and unique format, which we never had in chess events before. To have many strong players in one team, we get to discuss a lot about the game and share ideas. It will definitely help players improve individually,” she added while discussing the unique team format.

The league’s second edition will take place in London from October 3 to 12 at Friends House, and Vaishali has already planned her off-the-board adventures in the city. “The last time I visited London was five years ago. Back then, I missed going to the London Eye ride, so it’s the best opportunity for me to visit this time,” she signed off.

In the tournament, each team will play a total of 10 matches in a double round-robin format, with the winner of each match being decided in a best-of-six board scoring system.