Indian GM R Vaishali is gearing up for her potentially career-defining challenge against China's Ju Wenjun in the Women's World Championship next year. Known for her aggressive approach and attacking play over the board, Vaishali feels that she will need to develop greater versatility if she wants to cement her spot as one of the world's best players. Vaishali, who booked her place in the World Championship match by winning the Women's Candidates tournament earlier this year, is now focused on becoming a more complete player. While her attacking style has brought her considerable success, she understands that competing at the highest level requires the ability to navigate different kinds of positions. Speaking to PTI, she said, "Obviously, I win a lot of games because of my aggressive style. But I think when you want to go to the top, you have to know how to play all types of positions." "So it's something I've been working on to become a universal player. Yeah, it's a process." She also considers the Total Chess World Championship Tour pilot as an essential part of her preparations for the showdown against Wenjun. "I see this event as training for my (World Championship) match. Every day is going to be a challenge here," she said. The exact dates for the match are yet to be finalised. "It's not clear when the (World Championship) match will be. But I have been training to be the best version of myself for the match," she said. Her competitive calendar also remains demanding. Following the Budapest event, Vaishali is scheduled to participate in the Women's Freestyle Chess Finals in Germany before travelling to Istanbul for the World Rapid and Blitz Championships. "I have other tournaments planned, so it's not like I'm not doing anything," she said. Vaishali is also one of only two women competing in the 24-player field at the Total Chess event, which features several prominent names, including world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. She welcomed the opportunity to compete alongside some of the biggest stars in the sport and appreciated the organisers for creating opportunities for women players. "I am quite excited for the tournament. It's quite a strong field. I am thankful to the organisers for giving this to women's sport," she said. Neelav Chakravarti is a sports journalist with 8.5 years of experience, primarily in digital media. He has reported extensively on Indian football and... View More