All posts tagged: 2026 Candidates

Divya, Vaishali register first wins in Round 6

Divya, Vaishali register first wins in Round 6

Published by Webster

India’s GM Divya Deshmukh and GM Vaishali Rameshbabu registered their first win of the 2026 FIDE Candidates in Round 6 of the tournament on Saturday. Both Divya and Vaishali bagged the victory with black pieces to move to 3 points in 6 rounds. They now trail leader Anna Muzychuk by a point. Vaishali, who entered the match after suffering her first loss of the tournament on Friday, outplayed Kateryna Lagno in 47 moves. In a match which saw both players make multiple errors, the Indian prevailed with an accuracy of 87.6% compared to Lagno’s 80.5%. Just minutes later, Divya took down Bibisara Assaubayeva to cap off a successful day for Indians in Cyprus. In a Queen’s Gambit Declined opening, Divya fought back from a slightly inferior position in the middle game to take complete control after denying her opponent a three-fold-repetition on the 34th move. Six moves later Bibisara pushed her pawn on the f-file a bit too much, and Divya duly converted for a win. Praggnanandhaa draws Earlier in the day, India’s Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu …

Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali draw; Divya loses in Round 4

Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali draw; Divya loses in Round 4

Published by Webster

India’s Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Vaishali Rameshbabu drew their respective games, while Divya Deshmukh suffered a loss in the fourth round of the 2026 FIDE Candidates on Wednesday. Up against the lowest rated player in the open section, Praggnanandhaa held steady with the black pieces in the semi-slav opening. The 20-year-old from Chennai quickly exchanged almost all the pieces. They only had six pawns each, and an opposite coloured bishop on the board when they repeated thrice to shake hands after a 37-move battle. Praggnanandhaa now has 2 points from four rounds and trails the unbeaten leader Javokhir Sindarov by a point-and-a-half. Vaishali only unbeaten Indian Meanwhile in the women’s section, Deshmukh fell to a loss with the white pieces against a higher-rated Zhu Jiner of China. Deshmukh, the youngest player in the women’s Candidates, started solidly in the reverse sicilian opening, but was outplayed in the middle game after she misplaced her light-squared bishop on the d3 square in the 14th move. Zhu slowly pressed home the advantage from that point onwards to hand the …

Can Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali, Divya earn shot at world championship?

Can Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali, Divya earn shot at world championship?

Published by Webster

The 2026 FIDE Candidates is all set to commence from Sunday in Pegeia, Cyprus. Some of the top Grandmasters from across the globe will flock down to the European city to earn the right to challenge for the world championship title. A total of four Indians had qualified for the 2026 Candidates. But unfortunately, only three of them would be in action once the tournament commences. Veteran Koneru Humpy pulled out of the competition citing the heightened tensions in the region due to the ongoing war in West Asia. Humpy faced tremendous backlash for speaking up about safety concerns, but the two-time world rapid champion stood firm on her decision. “No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety and well-being. Despite the assurances provided, I do not feel fully secure under the current circumstances,” she said in a statement. “This is a painful but necessary decision,” she added. Despite Humpy’s withdrawal, there’ll be three Indians in action. While Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu will be the country’s only hope in the open section, his sister …