As the sun sets over the stunning Mediterranean coastline of Paphos, Cyprus, Indian chess player R Vaishali continues to impress in her tournament, steadily asserting her dominance in a competition where a single move can shift the balance. With each round that progresses, the likelihood of an Indian player securing a spot in the upcoming 2026 Candidates tournaments grows stronger.
In the evening of Saturday, Vaishali entered the 11th round as the leader of the Women’s Candidates tournament, extending her lead over second-place competitor Zhu Jiner by a full point after delivering a significant defeat to pre-tournament favorite, Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina.
With her fourth victory in the Candidates and her second win while playing with the black pieces, Vaishali’s performance is reminiscent of her remarkable finish during the latter part of the previous Women’s Candidates in Toronto, where she won five consecutive games to recover from a poor start, ultimately tying for second place. This time, however, her strong performance has come early in the event, leading to speculation about whether anyone can halt her progress.
Vaishali is on track to surpass her previous performance in the Candidates and is merely three rounds away from potentially making history by becoming only the second Indian woman, after Koneru Humpy, to compete for the World Championship title.
In her match against Goryachkina, Vaishali employed the London System, maintaining a fluid position and displaying resourcefulness with her pieces. Her most critical decision came on the 12th move when she maneuvered her knight, allowing for a queen exchange that significantly influenced the outcome of the game. By the 30th move, in an attempt to exchange her light-squared bishop, Goryachkina inadvertently trapped her rook in the center, sealing her fate.
Vaishali was not initially considered a frontrunner for the tournament, especially with Humpy expected to compete. Yet, she often excels when underestimated.
Supporting Vaishali was her fellow Indian player Divya Deshmukh, who managed to secure a draw against Zhu while playing with the black pieces. Despite this outcome, Divya’s chances of claiming the title appear slim.
In her match, Divya held a slight advantage during an engaging rook-and-knight endgame but, lacking a clear strategy, opted for a draw. This result considerably diminishes her chances of winning the tournament.
Sunday promises an exciting clash as Vaishali prepares to face Zhu. If she can manage the pressure effectively, she could pave the way for India’s third female Grandmaster.
Meanwhile, Vaishali’s younger brother, R Praggnanandhaa, the sole Indian participant in the open event, continues to face challenges. Following a tough loss to Uzbek prodigy Javokhir Sindarov, the 20-year-old was in a favorable position against Germany’s Matthias Blübaum but ultimately allowed his opponent to secure a draw.
The shared points mean Praggnanandhaa is officially out of contention for the Candidates title. Although he had maintained some hope earlier in the tournament, his chances were extinguished with the uninspiring ending against Blübaum.
Sindarov, on the other hand, is now in a ceremonial waiting phase. With five players, including Andrey Esipenko, Hikaru Nakamura, Wei Yi, Blübaum, and Praggnanandhaa, unable to catch him, his victory appears imminent with only one challenge remaining.
Fabiano Caruana, who again failed to break through Sindarov’s defenses, still holds a theoretical chance by winning his last three matches while hoping Sindarov loses all of his. However, for the seasoned player, labeling this as a title race may be overly optimistic. Realistically, Caruana’s chances of competing for the World Championship seem remote, and even attempting to catch the youngest contender feels like chasing a lost opportunity.
This leaves Anish Giri as the only remaining, albeit unlikely, contender. The Dutch player is set to face Sindarov in their second encounter, along with matches against Wei Yi and a winless Blübaum. While Giri has the skill to pose a challenge to any opponent, he will require favorable outcomes across the board.
Giri’s most direct route to contention is to achieve victory against Sindarov in their head-to-head match and hope for favorable results in the other games. A draw would not suffice, and a loss would eliminate his chances immediately, meaning that anything less than a win in that crucial matchup would hand the trophy to Uzbekistan.
