Indian siblings become 1st brother and sister to achieve chess grandmaster title

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Chess player Vaishali Rameshbabu earned her grandmaster (GM) title last week, making her the third Indian woman to earn the recognition and marking the first time a brother and sister have received the same title.

How it happened: Rameshbabu, 22, became a GM after winning at the IV El Llobregat Open in Spain on Friday. Speaking to Chess.com, Rameshbabu noted that obtaining the title has always been her goal since she began playing chess, adding, “I’m very happy I finally managed to complete the title.”

Rameshbabu beat International Chess Federation master (FM) Mikkel Jacobsen in the first round at the IV El Llobregat Open in Spain, followed by FM Tamer Selbes in round two, bringing her total points to slightly over 2,500.

Becoming a GM: Before becoming a GM, the highest title anyone can earn in the sport apart from world champion, a chess player must first cross the 2,500 total Elo rating threshold and win three norm tournaments, which have different conditions that have to be met, such as facing a minimum number of GMs and titled players in a tournament.

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The third: Rameshbabu, along with Koneru Humpy, 36, and Harika Dronavalli, 32, are the only three women from India to ever receive the GM title.

Runs in the family: With Rameshbabu winning her title, she and her brother, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, 18, have officially become the first-ever siblings to become GMs in chess history.

Praggnanandhaa, who beat then-world champion Magnus Carlsen in 2022, was one of the youngest players to earn the GM title in 2018 at 12 years old.

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