Candidates: How R Vaishali crushed Divya Deshmukh in 31 moves to join lead

NEW DELHI: In the zero-sum satellite of elite chess, the camaraderie betwixt compatriots often has to beryllium acceptable speech astatine the board. This was evident connected Wednesday astatine the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort arsenic India’s 2 sensations, R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh, faced disconnected successful a important Round 9 brushwood astatine the Women's Candidates.In what tin beryllium labelled arsenic an apt amalgam of tactical precision and sheer domination, Vaishali dismantled Divya’s defence successful conscionable 31 moves to prehend the co-lead successful the Women’s section.

Both players entered the time arsenic table-toppers, but FIDE’s regulations, designed to guarantee just play and forestall malpractice among compatriots, forced the face-off. Divya, caller disconnected a triumph with the achromatic pieces against Anna Muzychuk, was asked to support with Black erstwhile again.A implicit domination from VaishaliVaishali, wielding the achromatic pieces, opened with the Réti Opening. Divya’s ambitious 8...a5 propulsion down the flank failed to output a factual advantage, allowing Vaishali to found her pieces connected commanding squares.

The crippled reached a boiling constituent astatine determination 17; portion Divya needed the stabilising 17...c5 to enactment afloat, her prime of 17...Nd7 invited disaster. Immediately, Vaishali pounced with a decisive 18. Nxc6.

From there, it was a downward spiral for Divya. Under mounting clip pressure, the younger Indian blundered with 21...Rg6, fatally weakening her structure.By determination 23, Divya had surrendered some knights, and the finality of Vaishali’s 31.Rb7 prompted a speedy resignation. The triumph means Vaishali present holds 5.5 points, and she is besides the 1 sharing the acme with China’s Zhu Jiner.Praggnanandhaa disappoints againIn the Open section, R Praggnanandhaa’s quest for a breakthrough continues to beryllium elusive.Despite aboriginal momentum and the vantage of the achromatic pieces against Wei Yi, the 20-year-old Indian was incapable to person his bully luck into a afloat point.

The crippled followed a blase d4 enactment wherever Pragg seemed to clasp a flimsy borderline passim the mediate game.Despite penetrating with 24. Qxf7+ and maintaining a persistent initiative, Wei Yi’s antiaircraft resilience held firm. After a 56-move struggle, the points were split, marking different frustrating gully for the Indian prodigy.In the Open section, Javokhir Sindarov leads the battalion with 7/9 points, portion back-to-back wins for Anish Giri mean that the Dutchman is present 2nd connected the leaderboard with 5.5/9 points.FIDE Candidates Round 9 Results – April 8, 2026Open Section

Women’s Section

FIDE Candidates Round 10 Pairings – April 9, 2026Open Section

Women’s Section