Silence and few words have long been her forte, shaped in a middle-class household where her father worked as a bank branch manager and her mother was a homemaker

Vaishali, who secured a total of 8.5 points, is following the footsteps of Koneru Humpy. The triumph also highlights the rise of women's chess in India. Playing with the white pieces, she delivered a dominating performance to register a crucial victory and finish at the top of the standings