NEW DELHI: India's Vaishali Rameshbabu made an early statement at the inaugural Total Chess pilot in Budapest, producing two massive victories against established elite grandmasters to answer one of the tournament's biggest questions: how would the women fare in a 24-player field packed with some of the world's strongest players?
Vaishali, one of only two women competing in the tournament, defeated American GM Hans Niemann in the opening round before getting the better of four-time US champion Wesley So in round three. The latter victory was particularly eye-catching, considering So's recent form after winning the US Championship for the fourth time just two weeks earlier. The Indian Grandmaster eventually finished the nine-round blitz tournament with four points out of nine. While that score did not put her among the leading contenders, her victories against Niemann and So offered an encouraging indication of her ability to challenge the established names. With the competition now moving into a more demanding group stage, Vaishali will have another opportunity to test herself against the elite. Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva is the other woman in the 24-player field, with both facing a challenging examination in the days ahead.
While Vaishali supplied one of the evening's most interesting stories, Magnus Carlsen ensured the opening tournament belonged to him. The Norwegian world No. 1 won the nine-round blitz competition unbeaten, finishing with seven points out of nine to take the early lead in the inaugural Total Chess event. French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave finished second with 6.5 points, while Armenian-American Levon Aronian took third place with six. Carlsen sealed top spot by defeating Armenia's Haik Martirosyan with the black pieces in the final round. Vachier-Lagrave, meanwhile, could only manage a draw against Niemann, allowing the five-time classical world champion to finish clear at the top. The victory was more significant than just another addition to Carlsen's impressive collection of blitz titles. Under Total Chess's unusual competition rules, the opening tournament carries strategic importance beyond the standings. The finishing positions determine tiebreak priority during the group stage, influence knockout pairings and give higher-ranked players the first choice of colour in knockout blitz games. Carlsen has therefore secured a potentially valuable advantage before the main championship has even got underway. India's Arjun Erigaisi also threatened to challenge for the top position after producing impressive victories against Vachier-Lagrave and American GM Fabiano Caruana. However, his campaign suffered a setback in the final round when he lost to Aronian. Erigaisi finished on 5.5 points, alongside Alireza Firouzja, Caruana, Niemann and local favourite Richard Rapport. Rapport had earlier delivered one of the evening's biggest surprises by defeating world No. 3 Caruana in the opening round.
The competition now moves into its new Fast Classic format on Wednesday, with all 24 participants divided into four groups of six. The games will be played at a time control of 45 minutes plus 30 seconds per move. Unlike conventional scoring, a win will be worth three points, while a draw will earn each player one point. Carlsen headlines Group C, where he will face Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri, his former Russian rival Ian Nepomniachtchi, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Martirosyan and 17-year-old Abhimanyu Mishra. Group B features Caruana, India's R Praggnanandhaa, Vincent Keymer and Rapport.
Vaishali and Assaubayeva will be in Group D, alongside Vachier-Lagrave, Erigaisi, Niemann and So. That makes it a particularly intriguing group, especially after Vaishali's opening-round victories against two of its established names. Only the four group winners will advance to the main championship knockout bracket, although all 24 players will continue competing for their final positions. The $650,000 event is being organised as a pilot for a proposed new world tour combining Fast Classic, rapid and blitz chess, with the ambition of establishing a comprehensive measure of excellence across formats.
