India’s R Vaishali stayed firmly in the hunt for the title, defeating compatriot Divya Deshmukh.
In Round 9 of the Women’s Candidates Chess Tournament on Wednesday to draw level with China’s Jiner Zhu at the top of the standings.
After a largely steady start to the event, Vaishali has begun to assert herself with greater authority. Against Divya, she adopted a patient approach early on before gradually tightening control, eventually converting her advantage to move to 5.5 points after nine rounds. The win ensured she shares the lead with Zhu, with five rounds still remaining.
Vaishali’s campaign has gathered momentum with each passing round, as she has shifted gears from consolidation to actively pushing for victories. Her latest result not only strengthens her position but also keeps Indian hopes alive heading into the decisive phase of the tournament.
The race at the top, however, remains closely contested. Former leader Anna Muzychuk is just half a point behind after drawing with Zhongyi Tan. Despite the loss, Divya remains within striking distance on 4.5 points, alongside Kateryna Lagno and Bibisara Assaubayeva, leaving the standings finely poised.
Zhongyi Tan, a former world champion, continues to search for rhythm and is yet to hit top form in the competition.
In the open section, Anish Giri boosted his chances with an impressive win over pre-tournament favourite Fabiano Caruana, moving to 5.5 points. However, he still trails leader Javokhir Sindarov.
Sindarov maintained his lead after a hard-fought draw with Matthias Bluebaum, taking his tally to 7 points from nine rounds. The Uzbek Grandmaster remains in control and, with three games to come with the white pieces, is well placed in the title race.
Elsewhere, R Praggnanandhaa missed an opportunity to capitalise on a promising middlegame position against Wei Yi, with their game still in progress at the time of writing.
Round 9 results:
Open: Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs Wei Yi (CHN) – ongoing; Anish Giri (NED) beat Fabiano Caruana (USA); Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) drew with Matthias Bluebaum (GER); Hikaru Nakamura (USA) vs Andrey Esipenko (RUS) – ongoing.
Women: R Vaishali (IND) beat Divya Deshmukh (IND); Jiner Zhu (CHN) beat Kateryna Lagno (RUS); Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) drew with Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ); Anna Muzychuk (UKR) drew with Zhongyi Tan (CHN).
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