R Vaishali suffers shock defeat, Women’s Candidates race blown wide open

R Vaishali suffered a major setback on Sunday, losing to Jiner Zhu in a crucial round of the Women’s Candidates, throwing the title race wide open with just two rounds remaining.

The tournament will determine the next challenger to reigning world champion Ju Wenjun.

Playing with the white pieces, Vaishali needed only a draw to take sole control of the standings after an impressive run. However, her push for a win proved costly. Overextending in a sharp position, she allowed Zhu to turn the tables—handing the Chinese player her second victory over Vaishali in the event.

The result leaves both Vaishali and Zhu tied at the top with seven points from 12 games, setting up a tense finish.

Meanwhile, Anna Muzychuk missed a golden opportunity to close the gap after a late error allowed Aleksandra Goryachkina to escape with a draw in a closely fought encounter.

Bibisara Assaubayeva delivered one of the standout performances of the round, defeating Kateryna Lagno to move to 6.5 points—just half a point behind the leaders and firmly in contention heading into the final rounds.

For India, it was a disappointing day elsewhere as Divya Deshmukh went down to Tan Zhongyi, a result that effectively ended both players’ hopes of a podium finish.

Open section

In the Open Candidates, Javokhir Sindarov continued his dominant run, holding world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura to a comfortable draw with the white pieces.

With nine points from 12 games, Sindarov remains firmly on course for one of the most commanding victories in Candidates history.

India’s R Praggnanandhaa also settled for a draw against Andrey Esipenko, a result that further dented his chances. While not entirely out of contention, he now faces a steep climb and may need to reset for a stronger push in the next cycle.

Round 12 results

Open:
Esipenko (4.5) drew with Praggnanandhaa (5);
Matthias Blübaum (5) drew with Fabiano Caruana (6);
Nakamura (5) drew with Sindarov (9);
Wei Yi (5) vs Anish Giri (6.5).

Women:
Goryachkina (5.5) drew with Muzychuk (6.5);
Vaishali (7) lost to Zhu (7);
Assaubayeva (6.5) beat Lagno (5.5);
Tan Zhongyi (5) beat Divya Deshmukh (5).