By CNN
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Chess player Vaishali Rameshbabu followed in the family tradition by becoming a grandmaster on Friday.
Vaishali, 22, became only the third woman in India to earn the title, but she is not the first in her family to achieve such a feat.
Her brother, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, became one of the youngest grandmasters in history in 2018 at the age of 12. Together, the siblings have now become the first brother and sister duo to become grandmasters, according to Chess.com.
“Becoming a [grandmaster] has been my goal since I started playing chess,” Vaishali told Chess.com after earning the title at the IV El Llobregat Open in Spain.
“I was so close to it so I was really excited but also I had some pressure […] I’m very happy I finally managed to complete the title.”
Becoming a grandmaster is not easy and takes time. To achieve the title, players must win three norm tournaments – competitions which themselves must meet certain criteria – and surpass an International Chess Federation (FIDE) rating of 2500.
![TOPSHOT - Indian chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 12, laughs as he is celebrated by his school friends upon his arrival back to his school in Chennai on June 26, 2018 after becoming the world's second youngest chess grandmaster ever. Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, the son of a bank employee from the southern city of Chennai, achieved the feat with some aggressive play at an event in northern Italy that ended June 24. (Photo by ARUN SANKAR / AFP) / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by ARUN SANKAR has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [June] instead of [July]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require." (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)](https://cqonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/231204115054-03-indian-chess-siblings-grandmaster.jpg "231204115054-03-indian-chess-siblings-grandmaster")
Vaishali had already won three norm tournaments and eventually crossed the 2500 rating with her second-round win in Spain last week.
Vaishali’s brother, one of the best players in the world, said he always knew his older sister would one day accomplish the feat.
“I felt long back that she has GM strength for a long time already,” he told the FIDE last month as his sister approached the rankings points needed.
“I’m happy to see that she’s finally getting to where she belongs.”
