Vaishali makes the cut for Candidates

Over the past few weeks, Vaishali Rameshbabu has played some of the best chess of her life. It's been one of the most phenomenal runs by an Indian female chess player in recent memory.

- Susan Ninan

The 22-year-old defeated three former women's world champions and qualified for the Women's Candidates at the Women's Grand Swiss tournament in the Isle of Man. She joins her brother Praggnanandhaa, 18, who has found his spot in next year's Candidates - the eight-player final qualifying tournament for the World Championship. They are the first brother-sister duo in history to make the Candidates.

Often overshadowed by her younger brother's celebrity, Vaishali has for a while now been an International Master with Grandmaster strength. Tactical, aggressive and dynamic, she has shown immense composure and gumption against some of the biggest names in the women's game over the past few weeks in the heart of the Irish Sea. On Sunday, Vaishali drew with Batkhuyag Munguntuul to reach 8.5 points and win the tournament.

At the Isle of Man, the world caught a glimpse of Vaishali's fearsome play beneath her quiet, angelic exterior, shredding former women's world champions Mariya Muzychuk, Antoaneta Stefanova and Tan Zhongyi. She crushed one half of the formidable Muzychuk sisters of Ukraine in just 23 moves. In August, Mariya knocked out Vaishali from the World Cup.

She wasn't done.