Bengaluru: Vaishali Rameshbabu’s nerves could be her biggest strength in the match against five-time champion Ju Wenjun in the upcoming Women’s World Championship match, says Ukrainian Grandmaster Anna Muzychuk.
Defending champion Anna, along with Chinese Grandmaster Ju Wenjun, will feature in the Norway Chess tournament that starts on May 25.
“Ju is a very solid player and has a lot of experience which counts especially when you play World Championship matches. So, it’s hard to beat her, but it’s also not Mission Impossible,” Anna told HT in an interview. “Vaishali’s advantage is that she has good nerves. I have known her for quite a few years and have never seen her being too nervous or too crazy when something doesn’t go well. It looks that way at least. Maybe she keeps everything so well inside or maybe she’s just this kind of person, it’s a bit difficult to say. Either way, she comes across as very cool, even when things don’t go her way at all.”
Anna cites the 2024 Candidates as an example of Vaishali’s resilience – when she went from a four-game losing streak to winning five games in a row. “It was incredible and a big surprise for everyone. In this year’s Candidates, she used her chances and got the job done… She has good coaches and of course her brother (Praggnanandhaa) who can help her chess-wise for her match against Ju.”
Anna knows a thing or two about having a Grandmaster sibling. Her sister, Mariya, is a former women’s world champion. In the 2015 Women’s World Championship in Sochi, Anna was eliminated in the quarterfinals but stayed back to help her sister, younger to her by three years, and helped her win the women’s world title. At 36, Anna carries ambitions of doing the same herself.
She has won the world rapid and blitz titles and the classical title has long been on her wish list. “I remember the moment my sister became world champion vividly. I had helped her prepare and find ideas and was really happy for her. My goal was never to surpass her. Of course, when your sibling wins, it’s natural to think ‘I too can do it’.”
This year, Anna received a surprise call-up to be a part of the Candidates tournament – which Vaishali went on to win and qualify for the Women’s World Championship – after Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy decided to pull out of the event in Cyprus. “I had just three days – to prepare, discuss strategy with my coaches and arrange my tickets and travel,” Anna laughed. “In a tournament like the Candidates, you have to prepare against specific opponents but obviously I didn’t have much time.” Now in her mid-30s, she’s hoping she can pursue her biggest dream. “Winning the world title is my last biggest goal in chess. I’m working hard so I can get there someday.”
