NEW DELHI: If you were to poll the global chess community on the likely victor of the FIDE Candidates 2026, the response would be near-unanimous: Javokhir Sindarov. The Uzbek sensation’s ruthless efficiency, evidenced by a staggering 6/7 score, suggests the crown is already being measured for his head. Yet, while the Open section feels like a foregone conclusion, the Women’s category has descended into a chaotic arena where experience and titles seem to count for little.In a field of eight elite female Grandmasters, the tournament has become a “comedy or tragedy of errors”, depending on which side of the board you sit.
For the Indian contingent, Round 7 at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Cyprus provided a massive boost to the points table on Sunday. While Vaishali Rameshbabu seized a victory handed to her on a platter, Divya Deshmukh’s inability to convert a certain win into a full point remains a stinging indictment of the Indian camp’s current finishing touch.Vaishali’s ‘Comedy of Errors’Vaishali Rameshbabu, playing with white pieces this time, secured her second consecutive victory, taking down former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi of China. While the scoresheet reflects a win, the path to the point was anything but clinical.Vaishali’s opening choices continue to raise eyebrows, as she, following the Pirc Defense, once again found herself navigating a self-inflicted storm before being rescued by an unbelievable lapse from her opponent.“Vaishali started with a very passive system with white pieces against Tan Zhongyi’s Pirc Defense, and by move nine, the Chinese was already in an advantageous position,” Veteran Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay told TimesofIndia.com in his post-game analysis. “Eventually, things turned out to be bad. By move 16, it was much worse. And by move 23, Vaishali was in completely losing position till 26th move.”Vaishali started very aggressively, leading an erratic series of trades, which favoured her opponent more. Nevertheless, the turning point was not an Indian masterstroke, but a Chinese meltdown.“On the 27th move, Tan Zhongyi made an unbelievable knight move (27…Ne4) which led to reasonable drawing chances for Vaishali, though she continued to be torn down defending a difficult ending. And then there came a crucial blunder, 37.Ra1 by Tan Zhongyi losing a full piece (the bishop on f6) and thereby giving the game to the Indian on the platter. Overall, I think a comedy or tragedy of errors, whatever you call it, but too many mistakes for a Candidates event,” Thipsay remarked.Divya’s 135-move heartbreakIf Vaishali was lucky, Divya Deshmukh was the architect of her own frustration. Facing Kateryna Lagno, Divya held a commanding position for the better part of the day.Early in the endgame, Thipsay had predicted a straightforward victory for the Indian.“Divya was always in a commanding position,” Thipsay noted during the match. “She’s a pawn up and, with correct technique, this position can end in a win. Divya is a pawn up in a rook, bishop and knight ending with the same-coloured bishops. So, it shouldn’t be too difficult to win. But yes, you need some technique. The game will go on for a long time, but a win by Divya is almost certain.”The game indeed went on for a long time. However, “almost certain” proved to be a curse. In a gruelling 135-move marathon, Lagno displayed unbelievably tenacious defense, capitalising on Divya’s lack of clinical precision.Despite the material advantage, Divya was unable to break the Russian’s fortress, letting a crucial point slip through her fingers in the dying moments of the tournament’s first half.Praggnanandhaa stagnates in Open sectionIn the Open section, India’s sole representative R Praggnanandhaa appears to have lost its bite. Facing the World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana, the 20-year-old Chennai-born Grandmaster was unable to create any meaningful imbalance.Thipsay’s summary was succinct: “The game between Praggnanandhaa and Fabiano Caruana ended in a draw. Nothing much happened.”The only drama in the Open category came from Anish Giri, who managed to put a dent in Sindarov’s winning streak. Giri, defending a precarious position, sacrificed an exchange to reach a theoretically drawn ending.As the players head into the rest day on April 6, the Indian challenge stands at a crossroads.While Vaishali (3.5/7) and Divya (3/7) are now within striking distance of the leader Anna Muzychuk, their reliance on opponent blunders and failure to convert winning endgames suggests a fragile resurgence.For India to emerge as a genuine challenger in the final seven rounds, the “comedy of errors” must end, and the clinical efficiency of a champion must emerge.
Poll
Who do you think will win the FIDE Candidates 2026?
FIDE Candidates Round 7 Results – April 5, 2026Open Section
- Andrey Esipenko 0–1 Wei Yi
- Javokhir Sindarov 0.5–0.5 Anish Giri
- Matthias Blübaum 0.5–0.5 Hikaru Nakamura
- R Praggnanandhaa 0.5–0.5 Fabiano Caruana
Women’s Section
- Anna Muzychuk 0.5–0.5 Bibisara Assaubayeva
- Divya Deshmukh 0.5–0.5 Kateryna Lagno
- Vaishali Rameshbabu 1–0 Tan Zhongyi
- Aleksandra Goryachkina 0.5–0.5 Zhu Jiner
FIDE Candidates Round 8 Pairings – April 7, 2026Open Section
- Andrey Esipenko vs. Javokhir Sindarov
- Wei Yi vs. Matthias Blübaum
- Anish Giri vs. R Praggnanandhaa
- Hikaru Nakamura vs. Fabiano Caruana
Women’s Section
- Anna Muzychuk vs. Divya Deshmukh
- Bibisara Assaubayeva vs. Vaishali Rameshbabu
- Kateryna Lagno vs. Aleksandra Goryachkina
- Tan Zhongyi vs. Zhu Jiner
