Vaishali Takes the Lead in Women’s Candidates; Sindarov Dominates Open Section
R Vaishali continues to impress in the women’s Candidates tournament, taking the lead after a calm draw against Anna Muzychuk in Round 10. In the open section, Javokhir Sindarov clinched a strong victory over R Praggnanandhaa, further solidifying his top position.
Vaishali has been consistent throughout the tournament, now totaling six points, putting her ahead in the women’s standings. Facing Muzychuk, one of the most experienced players, she maintained control of the game, ensuring a steady performance without letting things get chaotic. Her equalization was seamless, allowing her to avoid any late-game surprises at this critical juncture in the tournament.
Muzychuk currently shares the second place with Zhu Jiner from China, both having earned 5.5 points. The competition remains fierce, with Bibisara Assaubayeva winning an important match against Zhu, bringing her score to five points. Alongside her, Kateryna Lagno and Aleksandra Goryachkina are also tightly packed in the standings, keeping the race for the title very much alive.
On a less positive note, Divya Deshmukh faced a setback, losing in the endgame against Goryachkina after a challenging match.
In the open section, Sindarov continued his impressive form, defeating Praggnanandhaa to reach eight points, now holding a two-point lead over the rest. The Uzbek player has showcased remarkable skills throughout the tournament, once again displaying his strategic preparation and composure under pressure.
The match against Praggnanandhaa began with intense action, as Sindarov adopted an aggressive strategy involving a piece sacrifice. Although Praggnanandhaa held his ground early on, a crucial mistake cost him dearly. He lost his queen for two rooks and some pawns, putting Sindarov in a strongly favorable position, which he expertly converted.
This victory marked Sindarov’s sixth win of the tournament, and his second against Praggnanandhaa, reinforcing his dominance in this event. With four rounds left, he has a solid grip on the competition.
Anish Giri, with six points, remains the only player close to Sindarov, while others seem to have fallen behind. Fabiano Caruana and Wei Yi played to a draw, as did Hikaru Nakamura against Giri. Andrey Esipenko also ended in a draw against Matthias Bluebaum, keeping the standings at the top mostly unchanged aside from Sindarov extending his lead.
For Praggnanandhaa, this defeat marks his third loss of the tournament and effectively ends his hopes for a comeback, leaving him stuck at four points as the final rounds approach.
Round 10 Results:
-
Open Section:
- Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan, 8) defeated R Praggnanandhaa (India, 4)
- Andrey Esipenko (Russia, 3.5) drew with Matthias Bluebaum (Germany, 4.5)
- Wei Yi (China, 4.5) drew with Fabiano Caruana (USA, 5)
- Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 4.5) drew with Anish Giri (Netherlands, 6)
-
Women’s Section:
- Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine, 5.5) drew with R Vaishali (India, 6)
- Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan, 5) defeated Jiner Zhu (China, 5.5)
- Kateryna Lagno (Russia, 5) drew with Zhongyi Tan (China, 3.5)
- Divya Deshmukh (India, 4.5) lost to Aleksandra Goryachkina (Russia, 5)
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on the upcoming rounds to see how the standings unfold.
