Bengaluru, March 29 -- Vaishali Rameshbabu pulled off something incredible in her Candidates debut two years ago. After four straight losses, she dug in her heels and won five games in a row. She hasn't played many tournaments lately and starts as the lowest-rated player in the field and the last seed. As an attacking player eager to take risks, Vaishali will have to manage her emotions and time better during games in a tumultuous competition like this one. Having had a feel of the tournament earlier should help. Then there's her fellow Indian, Divya Deshmukh. Divya is on a hot streak - she won the Women's World Cup in July 2025 defeating fellow Indian Koneru Humpy in the tiebreaks, which earned her the Grandmaster title and a spot in the Candidates. Humpy was supposed to be her Round 1 Candidates opponent before she withdrew from the tournament citing safety concerns over the ongoing war in West Asia. An aggressive player and go-getter, the 20-year-old has shown nerves of steel and the ability to beat higher-rated players - namely 2024 Candidates winner Tan Zhongyi, and the former women's world champion Zhu Jiner, last year. She'll be facing them both in Cyprus this time. Her spunk and fearlessness can be rewarded in a tournament like the Candidates, making her the most exciting player to follow. Vaishali goes in as the more experienced of the two, with the ability to reel off a string of wins at will. She will be riding on sheer momentum and tenacity. Divya, on her debut, could turn out to be a disruptor....