Candidates Chess: How Vaishali beat former World champion Tan for 2nd consecutive win

NEW DELHI: If you were to canvass the planetary chess assemblage connected the apt victor of the FIDE Candidates 2026, the effect would beryllium 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, portion the Open conception feels similar a foregone conclusion, the Women’s class has descended into a chaotic arena wherever acquisition and titles look to number for little.In a tract of 8 elite pistillate Grandmasters, the tourney has go a "comedy oregon calamity of errors", depending connected which broadside of the committee you sit.

For the Indian contingent, Round 7 astatine the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort successful Cyprus provided a monolithic boost to the points array connected Sunday.

While Vaishali Rameshbabu seized a triumph handed to her connected a platter, Divya Deshmukh’s inability to person a definite triumph into a afloat constituent remains a stinging indictment of the Indian camp’s existent finishing touch.Vaishali’s ‘Comedy of Errors’Vaishali Rameshbabu, playing with achromatic pieces this time, secured her 2nd consecutive victory, taking down erstwhile Women's World Champion Tan Zhongyi of China. While the scoresheet reflects a win, the way to the constituent was thing but clinical.

Vaishali’s opening choices proceed to rise eyebrows, arsenic she, pursuing the Pirc Defense, erstwhile again recovered herself navigating a self-inflicted tempest earlier being rescued by an unbelievable lapse from her opponent.

"Vaishali started with a precise passive strategy with achromatic pieces against Tan Zhongyi's Pirc Defense, and by determination nine, the Chinese was already successful an advantageous position," Veteran Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay told TimesofIndia.com successful his post-game analysis.

"Eventually, things turned retired to beryllium bad. By determination 16, it was overmuch worse. And by determination 23, Vaishali was successful wholly losing presumption till 26th move."Vaishali started precise aggressively, starring an erratic bid of trades, which favoured her hostile more. Nevertheless, the turning constituent was not an Indian masterstroke, but a Chinese meltdown."On the 27th move, Tan Zhongyi made an unbelievable knight determination (27...Ne4) which led to tenable drafting chances for Vaishali, though she continued to beryllium torn down defending a hard ending.

And past determination came a important blunder, 37.Ra1 by Tan Zhongyi losing a afloat portion (the bishop connected f6) and thereby giving the crippled to the Indian connected the platter. Overall, I deliberation a drama oregon calamity of errors, immoderate you telephone it, but excessively galore mistakes for a Candidates event," Thipsay remarked.Divya’s 135-move heartbreakIf Vaishali was lucky, Divya Deshmukh was the designer of her ain frustration. Facing Kateryna Lagno, Divya held a commanding presumption for the amended portion of the day.Early successful the endgame, Thipsay had predicted a straightforward triumph for the Indian.

"Divya was ever successful a commanding position," Thipsay noted during the match. "She's a pawn up and, with close technique, this presumption tin extremity successful a win. Divya is simply a pawn up successful a rook, bishop and knight ending with the same-coloured bishops. So, it shouldn't beryllium excessively hard to win. But yes, you request immoderate technique. The crippled volition spell connected for a agelong time, but a triumph by Divya is astir certain."The crippled so went connected for a agelong time. However, "almost certain" proved to beryllium a curse. In a gruelling 135-move marathon, Lagno displayed unbelievably tenacious defense, capitalising connected Divya’s deficiency of objective precision.Despite the worldly advantage, Divya was incapable to interruption the Russian’s fortress, letting a important constituent gaffe done her fingers successful the dying moments of the tournament's archetypal half.Praggnanandhaa stagnates successful Open sectionIn the Open section, India's sole typical R Praggnanandhaa appears to person mislaid its bite.

Facing the World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana, the 20-year-old Chennai-born Grandmaster was incapable to make immoderate meaningful imbalance.

Thipsay’s summary was succinct: "The crippled betwixt Praggnanandhaa and Fabiano Caruana ended successful a draw. Nothing overmuch happened."The lone play successful the Open class came from Anish Giri, who managed to enactment a dent successful Sindarov’s winning streak. Giri, defending a precarious position, sacrificed an speech to scope a theoretically drawn ending.As the players caput into the remainder time connected April 6, the Indian situation stands astatine a crossroads.

While Vaishali (3.5/7) and Divya (3/7) are present wrong striking region of the person Anna Muzychuk, their reliance connected hostile blunders and nonaccomplishment to person winning endgames suggests a fragile resurgence.For India to look arsenic a genuine challenger successful the last 7 rounds, the "comedy of errors" indispensable end, and the objective ratio of a champion indispensable emerge.FIDE Candidates Round 7 Results – April 5, 2026Open Section

Women’s Section

FIDE Candidates Round 8 Pairings – April 7, 2026Open Section

Women’s Section