Behind Vaishali’s Candidates glory is a 19-year-old boy named Pranesh

2025 saw third edition of Chennai Grand Masters. R Vaishali, the nation’s toast at the moment, was invited to compete in the Challengers section, which includes relatively lower-rated players than the Masters field. Vaishali had a nightmarish tournament, finishing rock bottom. The winner of the Challengers section was Munirethinam Pranesh, a baby-faced assassin on the board.