New Delhi: The Grandmaster siblings have done it again. Both Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and R Vaishali have achieved remarkable success in chess this year. On June 6, Pragg won Norway Chess 2026, and Vaishali won at the WR Women Chess Tour.
The chess commentators and fans alike are amazed at how two people from the same family are going around the world clutching victories in the same sport. This weekend, Vaishali made news from Tokyo, and Pragg did from Oslo. In the last four years, the siblings have often been mentioned in the same headlines for winning matches.
As per reports, Vaishali won the Tokyo Rapid event by defeating International Master Irene Sukandar, Grand Master Alexandra Kosteniuk, and finally International Master Alua Nurman with a score of 15-0.5. This victory, her first win in the knockout format, secures her place in the WR Women Chess Tour Grand final scheduled for later this year. The total prize fund of the tournament is $200,000.
It was Vaishali’s first time in Japan. “I had in my mind, play till finals, it’s great. If not, I’ll see the city,” she said in a WR Chess interview after winning.
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Siblings for the win
In fact, Vaishali is on a roll. Just a couple of months ago, in April, she won at the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 by defeating russian player Kateryna Lagno. This victory made Vaishali the official world championship challenger.
On the other hand, Pragg defeated GM Vincent Keymer to win the tournament in Oslo. GM Wesley So would have won the title after beating GM Alireza Firouzja if Pragg hadn’t beaten Keymer. Pragg secured a 12/12 score.
Speaking to the press, Pragg said he wasn’t thinking about winning, but everything went his way. “I just wanted to play chess,” he said. “I also feel that I started playing with more control, which in this time control is always a good thing.” His mother had reportedly told him that he would play well.
Pictures of Vaishali and Pragg are everywhere on social media. Fans are watching with pride and envy. “Pragg has the most number of goofy pictures amongst chess players, a genuinely fun guy. His sister Vaishali is the exact opposite – calm, quiet, mature. Their chess is opposite to their personalities though. While Pragg is solid and positional, Vaishali is tactical and chaotic,” wrote a fan.