Candidates chess: How a miracle rescued Divya Deshmukh and India from Round 3 disaster

NEW DELHI: If R Praggnanandhaa’s opening-round triumph implicit Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri astatine the Candidates was a manifesto of his assertive DNA, Round 3 was a flashy reminder of the game's flattering nature.On a time that began with precocious hopes for the Indian contingent astatine the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort successful Paphos, Cyprus, the publication soon flipped into a disaster, lone to beryllium salvaged by a miraculous antiaircraft basal and a specified spot of luck from Divya Deshmukh successful the women’s section.

Praggnanandhaa, playing with the achromatic pieces for the 2nd clip successful 3 days, was expected to use aboriginal unit connected 2025 FIDE World Cup victor Javokhir Sindarov.

Instead, a astonishing prime of opening and an uncharacteristic deficiency of wound near the Chennai-born Grandmaster suffering his archetypal decision of the tournament.A astonishing prime successful the openingThe astonishment began astatine determination one. Known for his lethal King’s Pawn (1. e4) attacks, Praggnanandhaa opted for the Queen’s Pawn (1. d4) opening, a determination that besides raised the eyebrows of seasoned Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay."Praggnanandhaa started brilliantly by winning the archetypal circular with the King’s Pawn opening.

Today, playing White against Sindarov, helium amazingly chose the Queen’s Pawn, which does not truly suit his style," Thipsay told TimesofIndia.com successful his post-game analysis.

"Praggnanandhaa is simply a precise beardown attacking player, and the King’s Pawn suits him better. He played the Queen’s Gambit, which leads to strategical play, but Sindarov played sharply and opened up the crippled with 6...c5. By the 12th move, Sindarov chose 12...Qf5,

which is simply a novelty."In the conflict of 20-year-olds, the Uzbek youngster dictated presumption portion defending with achromatic pieces astutely. Praggnanandhaa’s effort to beforehand connected the queenside met a brutal tactical response.

"I deliberation with 13.Bd3, Praggnanandhaa could person kept unsafe attacking possibilities by sacrificing a pawn (13...dxe3). The sacrifice could person proved precise unsafe with 14.O-O...Nd4 ," Thipsay explained."Instead, helium chose to spell with 13.axb4, allowing his Uzbek hostile to sacrifice a knight (13...Nxb4,14.axb4...Bxb4+) to support Praggnanandhaa’s king successful the centre."The sacrifice created a complex, unclear presumption wherever the inaugural shifted to Sindarov. While a antiaircraft specializer mightiness person weathered the storm, Praggnanandhaa’s discomfort was evident."Accurate defence is thing Gukesh would person loved to play with White and astir apt would person defended," Thipsay added.

"But connected determination 19, Praggnanandhaa played 19.Qc3, which turned retired to beryllium a decisive mistake. It was a precise one-sided crippled wherever Praggnanandhaa, contempt the achromatic pieces, was not capable to springiness a azygous threat."

By determination 40, the Indian resigned, leaving Sindarov to articulation Fabiano Caruana astatine the apical of the leaderboard with 2.5/3 points.Caruana himself enjoyed the shortest crippled of the tourney truthful far, capitalising connected a catastrophic mistake by China’s Wei Yi, who resigned connected determination 19 aft getting his bishop trapped.FIDE Candidates Round 3 Results – March 31, 2026Open Section

Women’s Section

A occurrence prevention from Divya DeshmukhAfter 8 consecutive draws crossed the archetypal 2 rounds, the Women’s conception yet saw blood. Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva, the three-time Women’s Blitz Champion, stunned China's Zhu Jiner with the achromatic pieces. Simultaneously, Russia’s Kateryna Lagno defeated China’s Tan Zhongyi to articulation Bibisara astatine the top.Amid these upsets, Divya Deshmukh recovered herself staring into the abyss against Aleksandra Goryachkina, 1 of the favourites to triumph the tournament.

For a bulk of the game, Divya was connected the ropes, battling Goryachkina’s heavy opening mentation and hefty positional lead."After 2 precise dull days successful the women’s section, the 3rd time saw a batch of upsets," Thipsay noted. "The apical seeds went down. Vaishali played a harmless crippled and drew against Anna Muzychuk. Goryachkina was successful an utmost pb successful the crippled betwixt Alexandra Goryachkina and Divya Deshmukh, and the gully is arsenic bully arsenic a miracle."

That occurrence arrived nether clip pressure.Coming from the Russian schoolhouse of chess, Goryachkina, usually a objective finisher, committed a shocking blunder connected determination 64 with 64.Ra6.

Although Divya concisely returned the favour with 64...Kh7, Goryachkina’s consequent error, 65.Kf7, evaporated the Russian Grandmaster’s advantage, with the longest crippled of the time ending successful a gully aft 81 moves."Goryachkina made a decisive mistake moving the rook from a7 to a6, and the crippled headed toward a draw," Thipsay explained.

"Divya succeeded successful averting defeat. She keeps her chances live with each 3 games drawn."

As the particulate settles connected a chaotic 3rd round, the leaderboard has started breaking into the leaders and the followers. In the Open section, the favourites, Caruana and Sindarov, person emerged early.For India, the absorption turns to Round 4, wherever Praggnanandhaa indispensable recalibrate against Matthias Blübaum, portion Divya and Vaishali look to crook their stalemates into a afloat point.Round 4 Pairings – April 1, 2026Open Section:

Women’s Section