With Grandmaster R. Vaishali qualifying for the FIDE Women’s World Championship final, Tamil Nadu is set to have representation on both of chess’s biggest stages, with one player each in the men’s and women’s title contests.

Vaishali faces reigning champion Ju Wenjun in the title clash, while D. Gukesh defends his world title against Javokhir Sindarov.

While FIDE is yet to confirm the dates and venue for the World Championship matches, Chennai could once again enter the conversation as a potential host.

“We will, of course, try to bring the World Championship here. We will fill in the bidding form and bid extensively. With two Indians competing in two categories, it reflects how much chess is growing in the country. It gives us immense pleasure,” said A.K. Verma, Head of Operations at the All India Chess Federation (AICF).

“Our priorities are clear: first, that two Indians are playing, and second, as a FIDE member nation, we aim to bring more events to India. But this would be a special occasion, and hosting it here could provide a significant boost,” he added.

Chennai had been a serious contender to host the 2024 World Championship. FIDE officials inspected venues in the city before opting for Singapore, citing a range of factors including infrastructure, event programming, and overall bid strength.

FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky had indicated that neutrality also played a key role in that decision.

“Initially, FIDE was ready to host it in Tamil Nadu, and we were prepared as well. But they later received a strong proposal from Singapore and decided to move it there,” Verma said.

Verma also confirmed that the AICF intends to bid for the Chess Olympiad in the near future.

Published on Apr 19, 2026