India, April 16 -- Vaishali R started the Women's Candidates tournament as the lowest-rated player in the field, and while she was expected to have her moments, no one was expecting her to go all the way. Fortunately, that memo didn't reach the 24-year-old from Chennai. After starting with four draws and a loss, she turned on the afterburners to string together five wins, three draws, and a loss in the next nine games. That incredible run sealed the title for her and showed how far women's chess has come in India.

India's women chess pioneers fought a patriarchal system. It started with the Khadilkar sisters - Vasanti, Jayshree, and Rohini - but they were considered oddities in Indian chess. It wasn't until the arrival of Koneru Humpy th...