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Sindarov Misses Chance as Giri Strikes; Vaishali and Zhu Jiner Lead Women’s Candidates

Posted : 09 April 2026

Javokhir Sindarov failed to capitalize on a strong position against Matthias Bluebaum, settling for a draw after missing a critical continuation that could have secured victory. Despite the slip, Sindarov maintains a 1.5-point lead with five rounds remaining.

 The game featured an unusual opening line that led both players into unfamiliar territory, and although Sindarov gained the upper hand, an inaccurate decision allowed Bluebaum to escape into a drawable endgame.

Anish Giri took full advantage of the situation by defeating Fabiano Caruana with the black pieces, reducing the gap at the top. The game remained balanced for much of the middlegame, but Caruana faltered under time pressure, allowing Giri to unleash a decisive tactical sequence that forced resignation.

 Elsewhere, R Praggnanandhaa and Wei Yi drew after a missed opportunity for the former, while Hikaru Nakamura and Andrey Esipenko played out a long, balanced endgame that ended peacefully after 92 moves.

In the Women’s Candidates Tournament, R Vaishali and Zhu Jiner moved into joint first place with 5.5/9 following important wins. Vaishali capitalized on a middlegame mistake by Divya Deshmukh, while Zhu outplayed Kateryna Lagno in a technical endgame after gaining a material advantage. Both leaders demonstrated strong form to break away from the chasing pack.

Anna Muzychuk, who had built a promising endgame advantage against Tan Zhongyi, was unable to convert and had to settle for a draw, losing ground in the standings. The remaining games also ended in draws, with solid and cautious play prevailing. As the tournament heads into its final stages, the race for both titles remains tightly contested.

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