"I really enjoyed it" - GM Vaishali Rameshbabu wasn't 'dragged into' making the viral reel [Exclusive]
India is the new "superpower" of chess. While the rise has been palpable for some time, the country truly marked its stamp on the moniker at the 45th Chess Olympiad. They swept the gold medals in both the open and the women's category.
The women's team celebrated in the most Gen-Z way ever - by posting a reel on Instagram. The 10-second video saw the players flaunting their medals while lip-syncing a famous Kanye West audio. The reel went viral, garnering over 7 million views.
The comments section was swarmed by chess enthusiasts, who fervently follow these stars. Interestingly, the fulcrum of the conversation there was GM Vaishali Rameshbabu, who comes across as the least social media inclined person in the team.
"Vaishali got dragged into this 😂😂", said one user. "We got queen Vaishali making reels before GTA-6" chimed in another.
At the felicitaion program organized by the All India Chess Federation at New Delhi, Team Sportskeeda had the opportunity to have an exclusive chat with her. The conversation began by addressing the elephant in the room. Turns out, the speculation in the comments section were a bit off the mark.
Here are the excerpts from the interview:
Q: The women’s team posted a reel on Instagram with the Kanye West audio. In the comments section, most of the comments are saying that ‘Vaishali was dragged into this, she didn’t want to do it’. Your take on that?
GM Vaishali: It’s funny that you have observed this and are asking me this question first. I mean yeah, I am not really a social media person. But we really wanted to celebrate something together. The previous time in 2021, we won the silver medal in the World Team (Chess Championship) in Spain - it was a historical medal for our country - and we did a similar reel.
It was really fun doing it together as a team. When our gold medal was confirmed (at the Chess Olympiad), we decided that we’ll do something similar. This time it went viral.
Q: So, it wasn’t your plan and you were dragged into it?
GM Vaishali: No, I really enjoyed it. I love my teammates. We decided together that we had to do something.
Q: But you are a bit of an introvert. So how does this stardom feel? How are you coming to terms with it, when everybody is swarming you for interviews?
GM Vaishali: I am slowly getting used to it, I would say. It’s a part of every sportsperson’s career.
Q: Are you enjoying it or does it feel like a pressure?
GM Vaishali: Bit of both. To some extent, I enjoy also because not many people get a chance to be in such a limelight. Sometimes it feels like pressure. You want to stop but you cannot stop.
Q: Talking about the pressure on the board, how much going into a tournament is about preparation, how much is it about thinking on your feet in a match?
GM Vaishali: Both are very, very important. (At the time of) preparation, you have to work really hard so that you can play well on the board. Also, on the board you have to spend some time. Chess is all about pattern recognition. Whatever homework you have done, you have to get it out on the board.
Q: So, it is about pattern recognition. These days we even see people taking the help of softwares to recognize and learn patterns. In that, do you think it is more about who can memorize more or is there some natural talent involved as well?
GM Vaishali: Both the things are again important. Understanding the moves and also some memorization is required because in chess there are so many possible moves. The beauty of the game is that there are so many possibilities. Chess has been played by so many legends for so many years, yet it has not been completely solved. It doesn’t matter how many games you play, every game is a new game, it’s a new position. So, that’s the beauty of the game.
Q: Can you take us back to when your first brush with chess happened and when did you decide that you’re going to pursue it as a profession?
GM Vaishali: I started playing chess when I was six-and-a-half years old. I used to watch television a lot. So, my parents put me in chess class, drawing class, whatever was possible. Whenever I used to practice at home, my brother used to disturb me, that is how he started playing. So, my parents got him a different chess set. That’s how he started. I think we never looked back again. I started playing tournaments and I started winning. I think we just kept going.
Indeed, Vaishali Rameshbabu hasn't looked back. What meant to be a distraction to refrain her from watching television has turned into a gliterring career. She and her brother GM Praggnanandhaa - who was a part of the Open team at the Chess Olympiad - are now called the "golden siblings" of chess. The duo would be heading to London next to represent India in another marquee chess tournament.