#Deadspin #Ducks #eye #playoff #positioning #regularseason #finale #Predators">Deadspin | Ducks eye playoff positioning in regular-season finale vs. Predators
Apr 14, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Mikael Granlund (64) shoots against the Minnesota Wild in the third period at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Heading into the final day of the NHL regular season on Thursday, the Anaheim Ducks still can finish anywhere from second in the Pacific Division to the second Western Conference wild-card spot.
A lot of that depends on their result against the host Nashville Predators on Thursday evening, but also the final score in the Edmonton Oilers-Vancouver Canucks game and the Los Angeles Kings-Calgary Flames game.
The latter two contests are scheduled to start an hour after the Ducks-Predators matchup.
Edmonton (40-30-11, 91 points) sits second in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of the Ducks (42-33-6, 90 points) and Kings (35-26-20, 90 points), and the Oilers own the tiebreaker over both. All three teams have clinched playoff berths.
Edmonton had hoped to be playing for its first division title since 1986-87, but the Vegas Golden Knights clinched the Pacific with a 4-1 win against the visiting Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.
Anaheim supporters hope that spoils Edmonton’s motivation against Vancouver and opens the door for the Ducks to leapfrog the Oilers for second place in the Pacific and earn home-ice in their first-round playoff series with a win against Nashville.
Anaheim owns the tiebreaker over Los Angeles, leaving the Kings in the second wild-card spot entering Thursday.
If the Oilers and Kings win on Thursday and the Ducks lose in any fashion to the Predators, Anaheim would drop into the second wild card, where it would face a first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche, owners of the best record in the NHL.
The Ducks have done little to help their standing in the past nine games, going 1-6-2 to lose their grip on first place in the Pacific and potentially home-ice advantage in the first round.
“Regardless of where we end up, it’s playoff hockey,” Ducks forward Ryan Poehling said. “Anything can happen, and for us to just be on top of our game and just kind of take care of what we can I think is the biggest thing. So, we’ve got one more (game) to kind of go through a rehearsal and then real hockey starts.”
The Predators (38-33-10, 86 points) made a big splash in free agency two years ago when they signed forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei to big contracts, but the trio has yet to lead them to the playoffs.
Nashville was eliminated from postseason contention on Monday when it lost 3-2 to the visiting San Jose Sharks.
“Came here with playoff aspirations, right?” Stamkos said. “So, we failed the last two years and that’s what’s so hard.”
The Predators need to hire a new general manager because Barry Trotz is retiring after the season. Stamkos has been around long enough to know that the new GM could take the team in a variety of directions.
“Someone could come here and say we want to complete tear down and rebuild and that’s the way it’s going to go,” Stamkos said. “We could have someone come in here and say, ‘Listen, you guys were close this year. We believe in the older guys and the core of this team and we want to help build that with bringing in even more younger guys and impact players.’ I think that’s the route we all hope for, but there are too many unknowns right now with regards to the future of the team.”
Silicon Valley startup Sabi is emerging from stealth with that goal. The company is developing a brain wearable that decodes a person’s internal speech into words on a computer screen. CEO Rahul Chhabra says its first product, a brain-reading beanie, will be available by the end of the year. The company is also designing a baseball cap version.
The technology is known as a brain-computer interface, or BCI, a device that provides a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. While many companies such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink are developing surgically implanted BCIs for people with severe motor disabilities, Sabi’s device could allow anyone to become a cyborg.
It’s not exactly Musk’s vision of the future, which involves implanted brain chips to allow humans to merge with AI. But venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, who was an early investor in OpenAI, says a noninvasive, wearable device is the only path to getting lots of people to use BCI technology.
“The biggest and baddest application of BCI is if you can talk to your computer by thinking about it,” says Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, one of Sabi’s investors. “If you’re going to have a billion people use BCI for access to their computers every day, it can’t be invasive.”
Sabi’s brain-reading hat relies on EEG, or electroencephalography, which uses metal disks placed on the scalp to record the brain’s electrical activity. Decoding imagined speech from EEG is already possible, but it’s currently limited to small sets of words or commands rather than continuous, natural speech.
Photograph: Courtesy of Sabi
The drawback of a wearable system is that the sensors have to listen to the brain through a layer of skin and bone, which dampens neural signals. Surgically implanted devices pick up much stronger signals because they sit so close to neurons. Sabi thinks the way to boost accuracy with a wearable is by massively scaling up the number of sensors in its device. Most EEG devices have a dozen to a few hundred sensors. Sabi’s cap will have anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 miniature sensors.
“Given that high-density sensing, it pinpoints exactly what and where neural activity is happening. We use that information to get much more reliable data to decode what a person is thinking,” Chhabra says.
The company is aiming for an initial typing speed of 30 or so words per minute. That’s slower than most people type, but he says the speed will improve as users spend more time with the cap.
Silicon Valley startup Sabi is emerging from stealth with that goal. The company is developing a brain wearable that decodes a person’s internal speech into words on a computer screen. CEO Rahul Chhabra says its first product, a brain-reading beanie, will be available by the end of the year. The company is also designing a baseball cap version.
The technology is known as a brain-computer interface, or BCI, a device that provides a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. While many companies such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink are developing surgically implanted BCIs for people with severe motor disabilities, Sabi’s device could allow anyone to become a cyborg.
It’s not exactly Musk’s vision of the future, which involves implanted brain chips to allow humans to merge with AI. But venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, who was an early investor in OpenAI, says a noninvasive, wearable device is the only path to getting lots of people to use BCI technology.
“The biggest and baddest application of BCI is if you can talk to your computer by thinking about it,” says Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, one of Sabi’s investors. “If you’re going to have a billion people use BCI for access to their computers every day, it can’t be invasive.”
Sabi’s brain-reading hat relies on EEG, or electroencephalography, which uses metal disks placed on the scalp to record the brain’s electrical activity. Decoding imagined speech from EEG is already possible, but it’s currently limited to small sets of words or commands rather than continuous, natural speech.
Photograph: Courtesy of Sabi
The drawback of a wearable system is that the sensors have to listen to the brain through a layer of skin and bone, which dampens neural signals. Surgically implanted devices pick up much stronger signals because they sit so close to neurons. Sabi thinks the way to boost accuracy with a wearable is by massively scaling up the number of sensors in its device. Most EEG devices have a dozen to a few hundred sensors. Sabi’s cap will have anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 miniature sensors.
“Given that high-density sensing, it pinpoints exactly what and where neural activity is happening. We use that information to get much more reliable data to decode what a person is thinking,” Chhabra says.
The company is aiming for an initial typing speed of 30 or so words per minute. That’s slower than most people type, but he says the speed will improve as users spend more time with the cap.
#Beanie #Designed #Read #Thoughtswearables,neuroscience,artificial intelligence,brain-computer interfaces">This Beanie Is Designed to Read Your Thoughts
Speech-to-text capability is now baked into all modern computers. But what if you didn’t have to dictate to your computer? What if you could type just by thinking?
Silicon Valley startup Sabi is emerging from stealth with that goal. The company is developing a brain wearable that decodes a person’s internal speech into words on a computer screen. CEO Rahul Chhabra says its first product, a brain-reading beanie, will be available by the end of the year. The company is also designing a baseball cap version.
The technology is known as a brain-computer interface, or BCI, a device that provides a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. While many companies such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink are developing surgically implanted BCIs for people with severe motor disabilities, Sabi’s device could allow anyone to become a cyborg.
It’s not exactly Musk’s vision of the future, which involves implanted brain chips to allow humans to merge with AI. But venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, who was an early investor in OpenAI, says a noninvasive, wearable device is the only path to getting lots of people to use BCI technology.
“The biggest and baddest application of BCI is if you can talk to your computer by thinking about it,” says Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, one of Sabi’s investors. “If you’re going to have a billion people use BCI for access to their computers every day, it can’t be invasive.”
Sabi’s brain-reading hat relies on EEG, or electroencephalography, which uses metal disks placed on the scalp to record the brain’s electrical activity. Decoding imagined speech from EEG is already possible, but it’s currently limited to small sets of words or commands rather than continuous, natural speech.
Photograph: Courtesy of Sabi
The drawback of a wearable system is that the sensors have to listen to the brain through a layer of skin and bone, which dampens neural signals. Surgically implanted devices pick up much stronger signals because they sit so close to neurons. Sabi thinks the way to boost accuracy with a wearable is by massively scaling up the number of sensors in its device. Most EEG devices have a dozen to a few hundred sensors. Sabi’s cap will have anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 miniature sensors.
“Given that high-density sensing, it pinpoints exactly what and where neural activity is happening. We use that information to get much more reliable data to decode what a person is thinking,” Chhabra says.
The company is aiming for an initial typing speed of 30 or so words per minute. That’s slower than most people type, but he says the speed will improve as users spend more time with the cap.
#French #Open #prize #money #increases #cent">French Open prize money increases by 9.5 per cent
Prize money at this year’s French Open will jump by 9.5 per cent, taking the total purse to 61.7 million euros ($72.69 million), organisers said on Thursday.
The increase of 5.4 million euros compared to 2025 continues a steady rise in player earnings at the claycourt Grand Slam.
The organisers have in recent years focused on boosting prize money across all rounds, not only for the champions but also for players eliminated in the early stages, amid growing calls within the sport for a fairer distribution of revenues.
The Paris major, staged annually at Roland-Garros, has maintained equal prize money for men and women.
The prize money increase comes as pressure mounts from players for a greater share of revenues, with discussions ongoing across the sport involving governing bodies and tournament organisers.
Despite the latest rise, Roland Garros is expected to remain behind the other three Grand Slams in overall prize money.
The U.S. Open offered the largest prize fund of the Grand Slams last year with $90 million, while Wimbledon paid out 53.5 million pounds ($72.40 million).
The Australian Open offered a record A$111.5 million ($79.92 million) in prize money this year.
Published on Apr 16, 2026
#French #Open #prize #money #increases #cent
Prize money at this year’s French Open will jump by 9.5 per cent, taking the…
#Deadspin #Braves #blast #home #runs #victory #Marlins">Deadspin | Braves blast three home runs in victory over Marlins
Apr 15, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves designated hitter Dominic Smith (8) hits a single against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at Truist Park. All players are wearing number 42 today in honor of Jackie Robinson. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Bryce Elder threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, and the Atlanta Braves backed him up with three home runs to defeat the visiting Miami Marlins 6-3 on Wednesday in the rubber game of their three-game series.
Elder (2-1) allowed four hits and two walks and struck out seven. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 0.77 and ended a personal two-game losing streak against Miami.
The Braves got solo home runs from Ozzie Albies, his fourth, and Austin Riley, his first, and a two-run shot from Matt Olson, his fifth. Atlanta banged out 11 hits.
Raisel Iglesias struck out three, while working a scoreless ninth to earn his fourth save.
The losing pitcher was Chris Paddack (0-3), who worked 4 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
The Braves scored twice in the second inning. Albies parked a cutter into the seats in right field. Atlanta added another run when Mauricio Dubon lined an RBI single to drive in Mike Yastrzemski.
Miami loaded the bases with one out in the fifth but could not score. Atlanta shortstop Dubon fielded the grounder, touched third and fired to first base to retired Xavier Edwards, who was originally called safe. The Braves challenged the play, and it was overturned, ending the inning and keeping Miami off the board.
The Braves have turned a double play on the infield in 16 consecutive games dating to March 30. It is the longest active streak in baseball and the longest for Atlanta since a 17-game streak in 1985.
The Braves added a solo homer from Riley to open the sixth, a 402-foot shot into the right field seats. It was the first run allowed this season by reliever John King.
Atlanta put the game away with three runs in the seventh. Drake Baldwin singled in a run. and Olson followed with a 423-foot homer off Andrew Nardi.
Miami got its runs in the eighth inning on a two-run homer by Liam Hicks, his fourth, off reliever Osvaldo Bido. A third run crossed on a Heriberto Hernandez’s fielder’s choice grounder.
#Candidates #review #Vaishali #finds #moment #Sindarov #owns #field">Candidates 2026 review: Vaishali finds her moment, Sindarov owns the field
For a long time, Indian chess Grandmaster R. Vaishali existed in the shadows, and thrived there.
First, it was the presence of her brother, R. Praggnanandhaa, who garnered the lion’s share of attention owing to his prodigious talent.
Even in Indian women’s chess, Vaishali was never the centrepiece. The more experienced Koneru Humpy and D. Harika remained the country’s flagbearers.
Following Divya Deshmukh’s swift ascent after her FIDE World Cup 2025 triumph, Vaishali was pushed further into the background.
But over a fortnight in Cyprus, battling through an elite field, Vaishali stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight reserved for the elite.
By becoming the first Indian to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates title, the 24-year-old qualified for the World Championship final against China’s Ju Wenjun later this year.
Vaishali entered the Candidates as the lowest-ranked player in the women’s section. Her performance in the opening rounds reflected that: she began with four draws.
A defeat to Zhu Jiner in Round 5 triggered a shift in approach. From Round 6 to 11, Vaishali won four games and drew the other two to surge into the lead.
“I think in the first half, my games were super shaky. I was just scoring points by luck. The loss against Zhu was very crucial. In the second half, my game started to become better,” explained Vaishali in the post-tournament press conference.
Zhu would return later to halt Vaishali’s momentum with a dominant win in Round 12, setting up a thrilling finish. Heading into the final round, Vaishali was in joint lead with Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva.
But Vaishali benefited from her compatriot Divya, who held Assaubayeva to a draw. The equation was simple: the Candidates was Vaishali’s if she beat Kateryna Lagno.
With all eyes on her, Vaishali held her nerve to systematically dismantle Lagno’s defence and claim the requisite point. The spotlight had never shone brighter.
When asked what changed for her in Cyprus, Vaishali replied: “I think it’s just [the result of] continuous hard work. Somehow, I was not getting results in the last couple of years. I think everything came together here in this tournament.”
The chaotic unfolding of the women’s section stood in contrast to the procession-like nature of the open section. Javokhir Sindarov dominated the Candidates, tallying 10 points, the most any player has accumulated in a single edition.
Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov’s unbeaten run, sealed with a round to spare, sets up a World Chess Championship clash against D. Gukesh later this year.
| Photo Credit:
Niki Riga / FIDE
Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov’s unbeaten run, sealed with a round to spare, sets up a World Chess Championship clash against D. Gukesh later this year.
| Photo Credit:
Niki Riga / FIDE
The Uzbek GM, playing his maiden Candidates, blazed through the opening rounds, winning five of his first six games to open up a sizeable lead.
What stood out most in those early games was Sindarov’s razor-sharp opening preparation, which helped him outfox his experienced opponents. This often gave him a significant advantage on the clock, allowing him to dictate the middlegame and steer games towards inevitable wins.
In Round 5, Sindarov drew World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura into a compromised position with precise opening play. The American struggled to untangle himself and ended up spending over 67 minutes on a move, the second-longest any player has taken for a single move in Candidates history.
Despite burning time on the clock, Hikaru chose a move (13. h4) that only worsened his position. Sindarov seized the advantage and coasted to a comfortable win.
Such was Sindarov’s dominance that even a mid-tournament accidental leak of his opening routines on the online chess portal Lichess barely slowed his charge.
With the title almost secured, the 20-year-old shifted into a pragmatic mode in the latter half of the Candidates. There were no desperate pushes or unnecessary experiments as he steered games into comfortable draws to seal the biggest triumph of his career with a round to spare.
For the quietly confident Sindarov, this was a performance he always believed he was capable of.
“In my opinion, I’m one of the [most] talented players. But you can never predict that you will become the world champion, because it is very hard and you need to be lucky.”
“I have always believed I can be one of the strongest players in the world and cross the 2800 rating. I’m very happy, but I’m not surprised to win this tournament because I always believed in myself,” said Sindarov.
As Sindarov claimed the spotlight emphatically, the much-hyped Fabiano Caruana and Nakamura receded into the background.
The American GMs entered as favourites, backed by their experience against a comparatively inexperienced field.
But both Caruana and Nakamura flattered to deceive, withering under Sindarov’s onslaught. It remains to be seen whether the two veterans have the energy and motivation to navigate another Candidates cycle in pursuit of a long-overdue World title.
India’s sole hope in the open category, Praggnanandhaa, was left behind as well. The 20-year-old began with a confident opening-round win against Dutch GM Anish Giri but fell away from there, failing to win another game to finish seventh in the eight-man standings.
Sindarov will now square off against India’s D. Gukesh for the world title in a 14-game match scheduled for later this year. Their clash has already created history, as it will be the youngest World Chess Championship final of all time, with both players under 21 and Gukesh six months younger than his rival.
This will also be the second consecutive all-Asian World Championship final, signalling a shift in the balance of global chess.
With Gukesh’s recent form in decline, Sindarov has already been labelled the favourite.
Meanwhile, Gukesh has announced that he will scale back his tournament commitments as he prepares for the title defence.
Sindarov, however, is wary of underestimating his opponent.
“I will play against one of the strongest players in the world, and we both have equal chances. Probably, because he played in a [World Championship] match, he has more experience, so a little bit more chance [for him]. Our playing strengths are very close. It will be a very interesting match,” explained Sindarov.
Apr 14, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Mikael Granlund (64) shoots against the Minnesota Wild in the third period at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images 
![Michael B. Jordan’s ‘The Thomas Crown Affair,’ ‘Spaceballs: The New One,’ ‘Verity’ Highlight Amazon MGM Studios Slate [CinemaCon]](https://i2.wp.com/secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ff0fcdd077e1353b25cbc49f06d203baaeab3673823369b00f2e869d7f326360?s=150&d=mp&r=g&ssl=1 "Michael B. Jordan’s ‘The Thomas Crown Affair,’ ‘Spaceballs: The New One,’ ‘Verity’ Highlight Amazon MGM Studios Slate [CinemaCon]")
![Candidates 2026 review: Vaishali finds her moment, Sindarov owns the field For a long time, Indian chess Grandmaster R. Vaishali existed in the shadows, and thrived there.First, it was the presence of her brother, R. Praggnanandhaa, who garnered the lion’s share of attention owing to his prodigious talent.Even in Indian women’s chess, Vaishali was never the centrepiece. The more experienced Koneru Humpy and D. Harika remained the country’s flagbearers.Following Divya Deshmukh’s swift ascent after her FIDE World Cup 2025 triumph, Vaishali was pushed further into the background.But over a fortnight in Cyprus, battling through an elite field, Vaishali stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight reserved for the elite.By becoming the first Indian to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates title, the 24-year-old qualified for the World Championship final against China’s Ju Wenjun later this year.Vaishali entered the Candidates as the lowest-ranked player in the women’s section. Her performance in the opening rounds reflected that: she began with four draws.A defeat to Zhu Jiner in Round 5 triggered a shift in approach. From Round 6 to 11, Vaishali won four games and drew the other two to surge into the lead.“I think in the first half, my games were super shaky. I was just scoring points by luck. The loss against Zhu was very crucial. In the second half, my game started to become better,” explained Vaishali in the post-tournament press conference.Zhu would return later to halt Vaishali’s momentum with a dominant win in Round 12, setting up a thrilling finish. Heading into the final round, Vaishali was in joint lead with Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva.But Vaishali benefited from her compatriot Divya, who held Assaubayeva to a draw. The equation was simple: the Candidates was Vaishali’s if she beat Kateryna Lagno.With all eyes on her, Vaishali held her nerve to systematically dismantle Lagno’s defence and claim the requisite point. The spotlight had never shone brighter.When asked what changed for her in Cyprus, Vaishali replied: “I think it’s just [the result of] continuous hard work. Somehow, I was not getting results in the last couple of years. I think everything came together here in this tournament.”The chaotic unfolding of the women’s section stood in contrast to the procession-like nature of the open section. Javokhir Sindarov dominated the Candidates, tallying 10 points, the most any player has accumulated in a single edition. Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov’s unbeaten run, sealed with a round to spare, sets up a World Chess Championship clash against D. Gukesh later this year.
| Photo Credit:
Niki Riga / FIDE
Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov’s unbeaten run, sealed with a round to spare, sets up a World Chess Championship clash against D. Gukesh later this year.
| Photo Credit:
Niki Riga / FIDE
The Uzbek GM, playing his maiden Candidates, blazed through the opening rounds, winning five of his first six games to open up a sizeable lead.What stood out most in those early games was Sindarov’s razor-sharp opening preparation, which helped him outfox his experienced opponents. This often gave him a significant advantage on the clock, allowing him to dictate the middlegame and steer games towards inevitable wins.In Round 5, Sindarov drew World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura into a compromised position with precise opening play. The American struggled to untangle himself and ended up spending over 67 minutes on a move, the second-longest any player has taken for a single move in Candidates history.Despite burning time on the clock, Hikaru chose a move (13. h4) that only worsened his position. Sindarov seized the advantage and coasted to a comfortable win.Such was Sindarov’s dominance that even a mid-tournament accidental leak of his opening routines on the online chess portal Lichess barely slowed his charge.With the title almost secured, the 20-year-old shifted into a pragmatic mode in the latter half of the Candidates. There were no desperate pushes or unnecessary experiments as he steered games into comfortable draws to seal the biggest triumph of his career with a round to spare.For the quietly confident Sindarov, this was a performance he always believed he was capable of.“In my opinion, I’m one of the [most] talented players. But you can never predict that you will become the world champion, because it is very hard and you need to be lucky.”“I have always believed I can be one of the strongest players in the world and cross the 2800 rating. I’m very happy, but I’m not surprised to win this tournament because I always believed in myself,” said Sindarov.As Sindarov claimed the spotlight emphatically, the much-hyped Fabiano Caruana and Nakamura receded into the background.The American GMs entered as favourites, backed by their experience against a comparatively inexperienced field.But both Caruana and Nakamura flattered to deceive, withering under Sindarov’s onslaught. It remains to be seen whether the two veterans have the energy and motivation to navigate another Candidates cycle in pursuit of a long-overdue World title.India’s sole hope in the open category, Praggnanandhaa, was left behind as well. The 20-year-old began with a confident opening-round win against Dutch GM Anish Giri but fell away from there, failing to win another game to finish seventh in the eight-man standings.Sindarov will now square off against India’s D. Gukesh for the world title in a 14-game match scheduled for later this year. Their clash has already created history, as it will be the youngest World Chess Championship final of all time, with both players under 21 and Gukesh six months younger than his rival.This will also be the second consecutive all-Asian World Championship final, signalling a shift in the balance of global chess.With Gukesh’s recent form in decline, Sindarov has already been labelled the favourite.Meanwhile, Gukesh has announced that he will scale back his tournament commitments as he prepares for the title defence.Sindarov, however, is wary of underestimating his opponent.“I will play against one of the strongest players in the world, and we both have equal chances. Probably, because he played in a [World Championship] match, he has more experience, so a little bit more chance [for him]. Our playing strengths are very close. It will be a very interesting match,” explained Sindarov.Published on Apr 16, 2026 #Candidates #review #Vaishali #finds #moment #Sindarov #owns #field](https://ss-i.thgim.com/public/chess/vz72fx/article70868814.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/55207201433_5116d50e6c_o.jpg "Candidates 2026 review: Vaishali finds her moment, Sindarov owns the field For a long time, Indian chess Grandmaster R. Vaishali existed in the shadows, and thrived there.First, it was the presence of her brother, R. Praggnanandhaa, who garnered the lion’s share of attention owing to his prodigious talent.Even in Indian women’s chess, Vaishali was never the centrepiece. The more experienced Koneru Humpy and D. Harika remained the country’s flagbearers.Following Divya Deshmukh’s swift ascent after her FIDE World Cup 2025 triumph, Vaishali was pushed further into the background.But over a fortnight in Cyprus, battling through an elite field, Vaishali stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight reserved for the elite.By becoming the first Indian to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates title, the 24-year-old qualified for the World Championship final against China’s Ju Wenjun later this year.Vaishali entered the Candidates as the lowest-ranked player in the women’s section. Her performance in the opening rounds reflected that: she began with four draws.A defeat to Zhu Jiner in Round 5 triggered a shift in approach. From Round 6 to 11, Vaishali won four games and drew the other two to surge into the lead.“I think in the first half, my games were super shaky. I was just scoring points by luck. The loss against Zhu was very crucial. In the second half, my game started to become better,” explained Vaishali in the post-tournament press conference.Zhu would return later to halt Vaishali’s momentum with a dominant win in Round 12, setting up a thrilling finish. Heading into the final round, Vaishali was in joint lead with Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva.But Vaishali benefited from her compatriot Divya, who held Assaubayeva to a draw. The equation was simple: the Candidates was Vaishali’s if she beat Kateryna Lagno.With all eyes on her, Vaishali held her nerve to systematically dismantle Lagno’s defence and claim the requisite point. The spotlight had never shone brighter.When asked what changed for her in Cyprus, Vaishali replied: “I think it’s just [the result of] continuous hard work. Somehow, I was not getting results in the last couple of years. I think everything came together here in this tournament.”The chaotic unfolding of the women’s section stood in contrast to the procession-like nature of the open section. Javokhir Sindarov dominated the Candidates, tallying 10 points, the most any player has accumulated in a single edition. Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov’s unbeaten run, sealed with a round to spare, sets up a World Chess Championship clash against D. Gukesh later this year.
| Photo Credit:
Niki Riga / FIDE
Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov’s unbeaten run, sealed with a round to spare, sets up a World Chess Championship clash against D. Gukesh later this year.
| Photo Credit:
Niki Riga / FIDE
The Uzbek GM, playing his maiden Candidates, blazed through the opening rounds, winning five of his first six games to open up a sizeable lead.What stood out most in those early games was Sindarov’s razor-sharp opening preparation, which helped him outfox his experienced opponents. This often gave him a significant advantage on the clock, allowing him to dictate the middlegame and steer games towards inevitable wins.In Round 5, Sindarov drew World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura into a compromised position with precise opening play. The American struggled to untangle himself and ended up spending over 67 minutes on a move, the second-longest any player has taken for a single move in Candidates history.Despite burning time on the clock, Hikaru chose a move (13. h4) that only worsened his position. Sindarov seized the advantage and coasted to a comfortable win.Such was Sindarov’s dominance that even a mid-tournament accidental leak of his opening routines on the online chess portal Lichess barely slowed his charge.With the title almost secured, the 20-year-old shifted into a pragmatic mode in the latter half of the Candidates. There were no desperate pushes or unnecessary experiments as he steered games into comfortable draws to seal the biggest triumph of his career with a round to spare.For the quietly confident Sindarov, this was a performance he always believed he was capable of.“In my opinion, I’m one of the [most] talented players. But you can never predict that you will become the world champion, because it is very hard and you need to be lucky.”“I have always believed I can be one of the strongest players in the world and cross the 2800 rating. I’m very happy, but I’m not surprised to win this tournament because I always believed in myself,” said Sindarov.As Sindarov claimed the spotlight emphatically, the much-hyped Fabiano Caruana and Nakamura receded into the background.The American GMs entered as favourites, backed by their experience against a comparatively inexperienced field.But both Caruana and Nakamura flattered to deceive, withering under Sindarov’s onslaught. It remains to be seen whether the two veterans have the energy and motivation to navigate another Candidates cycle in pursuit of a long-overdue World title.India’s sole hope in the open category, Praggnanandhaa, was left behind as well. The 20-year-old began with a confident opening-round win against Dutch GM Anish Giri but fell away from there, failing to win another game to finish seventh in the eight-man standings.Sindarov will now square off against India’s D. Gukesh for the world title in a 14-game match scheduled for later this year. Their clash has already created history, as it will be the youngest World Chess Championship final of all time, with both players under 21 and Gukesh six months younger than his rival.This will also be the second consecutive all-Asian World Championship final, signalling a shift in the balance of global chess.With Gukesh’s recent form in decline, Sindarov has already been labelled the favourite.Meanwhile, Gukesh has announced that he will scale back his tournament commitments as he prepares for the title defence.Sindarov, however, is wary of underestimating his opponent.“I will play against one of the strongest players in the world, and we both have equal chances. Probably, because he played in a [World Championship] match, he has more experience, so a little bit more chance [for him]. Our playing strengths are very close. It will be a very interesting match,” explained Sindarov.Published on Apr 16, 2026 #Candidates #review #Vaishali #finds #moment #Sindarov #owns #field")
![Candidates 2026 review: Vaishali finds her moment, Sindarov owns the field For a long time, Indian chess Grandmaster R. Vaishali existed in the shadows, and thrived there.First, it was the presence of her brother, R. Praggnanandhaa, who garnered the lion’s share of attention owing to his prodigious talent.Even in Indian women’s chess, Vaishali was never the centrepiece. The more experienced Koneru Humpy and D. Harika remained the country’s flagbearers.Following Divya Deshmukh’s swift ascent after her FIDE World Cup 2025 triumph, Vaishali was pushed further into the background.But over a fortnight in Cyprus, battling through an elite field, Vaishali stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight reserved for the elite.By becoming the first Indian to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates title, the 24-year-old qualified for the World Championship final against China’s Ju Wenjun later this year.Vaishali entered the Candidates as the lowest-ranked player in the women’s section. Her performance in the opening rounds reflected that: she began with four draws.A defeat to Zhu Jiner in Round 5 triggered a shift in approach. From Round 6 to 11, Vaishali won four games and drew the other two to surge into the lead.“I think in the first half, my games were super shaky. I was just scoring points by luck. The loss against Zhu was very crucial. In the second half, my game started to become better,” explained Vaishali in the post-tournament press conference.Zhu would return later to halt Vaishali’s momentum with a dominant win in Round 12, setting up a thrilling finish. Heading into the final round, Vaishali was in joint lead with Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva.But Vaishali benefited from her compatriot Divya, who held Assaubayeva to a draw. The equation was simple: the Candidates was Vaishali’s if she beat Kateryna Lagno.With all eyes on her, Vaishali held her nerve to systematically dismantle Lagno’s defence and claim the requisite point. The spotlight had never shone brighter.When asked what changed for her in Cyprus, Vaishali replied: “I think it’s just [the result of] continuous hard work. Somehow, I was not getting results in the last couple of years. I think everything came together here in this tournament.”The chaotic unfolding of the women’s section stood in contrast to the procession-like nature of the open section. Javokhir Sindarov dominated the Candidates, tallying 10 points, the most any player has accumulated in a single edition. Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov’s unbeaten run, sealed with a round to spare, sets up a World Chess Championship clash against D. Gukesh later this year.
| Photo Credit:
Niki Riga / FIDE
Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov’s unbeaten run, sealed with a round to spare, sets up a World Chess Championship clash against D. Gukesh later this year.
| Photo Credit:
Niki Riga / FIDE
The Uzbek GM, playing his maiden Candidates, blazed through the opening rounds, winning five of his first six games to open up a sizeable lead.What stood out most in those early games was Sindarov’s razor-sharp opening preparation, which helped him outfox his experienced opponents. This often gave him a significant advantage on the clock, allowing him to dictate the middlegame and steer games towards inevitable wins.In Round 5, Sindarov drew World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura into a compromised position with precise opening play. The American struggled to untangle himself and ended up spending over 67 minutes on a move, the second-longest any player has taken for a single move in Candidates history.Despite burning time on the clock, Hikaru chose a move (13. h4) that only worsened his position. Sindarov seized the advantage and coasted to a comfortable win.Such was Sindarov’s dominance that even a mid-tournament accidental leak of his opening routines on the online chess portal Lichess barely slowed his charge.With the title almost secured, the 20-year-old shifted into a pragmatic mode in the latter half of the Candidates. There were no desperate pushes or unnecessary experiments as he steered games into comfortable draws to seal the biggest triumph of his career with a round to spare.For the quietly confident Sindarov, this was a performance he always believed he was capable of.“In my opinion, I’m one of the [most] talented players. But you can never predict that you will become the world champion, because it is very hard and you need to be lucky.”“I have always believed I can be one of the strongest players in the world and cross the 2800 rating. I’m very happy, but I’m not surprised to win this tournament because I always believed in myself,” said Sindarov.As Sindarov claimed the spotlight emphatically, the much-hyped Fabiano Caruana and Nakamura receded into the background.The American GMs entered as favourites, backed by their experience against a comparatively inexperienced field.But both Caruana and Nakamura flattered to deceive, withering under Sindarov’s onslaught. It remains to be seen whether the two veterans have the energy and motivation to navigate another Candidates cycle in pursuit of a long-overdue World title.India’s sole hope in the open category, Praggnanandhaa, was left behind as well. The 20-year-old began with a confident opening-round win against Dutch GM Anish Giri but fell away from there, failing to win another game to finish seventh in the eight-man standings.Sindarov will now square off against India’s D. Gukesh for the world title in a 14-game match scheduled for later this year. Their clash has already created history, as it will be the youngest World Chess Championship final of all time, with both players under 21 and Gukesh six months younger than his rival.This will also be the second consecutive all-Asian World Championship final, signalling a shift in the balance of global chess.With Gukesh’s recent form in decline, Sindarov has already been labelled the favourite.Meanwhile, Gukesh has announced that he will scale back his tournament commitments as he prepares for the title defence.Sindarov, however, is wary of underestimating his opponent.“I will play against one of the strongest players in the world, and we both have equal chances. Probably, because he played in a [World Championship] match, he has more experience, so a little bit more chance [for him]. Our playing strengths are very close. It will be a very interesting match,” explained Sindarov.Published on Apr 16, 2026 #Candidates #review #Vaishali #finds #moment #Sindarov #owns #field](https://i1.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/chess/vz72fx/article70868814.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/55207201433_5116d50e6c_o.jpg?ssl=1 "Candidates 2026 review: Vaishali finds her moment, Sindarov owns the field For a long time, Indian chess Grandmaster R. Vaishali existed in the shadows, and thrived there.First, it was the presence of her brother, R. Praggnanandhaa, who garnered the lion’s share of attention owing to his prodigious talent.Even in Indian women’s chess, Vaishali was never the centrepiece. The more experienced Koneru Humpy and D. Harika remained the country’s flagbearers.Following Divya Deshmukh’s swift ascent after her FIDE World Cup 2025 triumph, Vaishali was pushed further into the background.But over a fortnight in Cyprus, battling through an elite field, Vaishali stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight reserved for the elite.By becoming the first Indian to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates title, the 24-year-old qualified for the World Championship final against China’s Ju Wenjun later this year.Vaishali entered the Candidates as the lowest-ranked player in the women’s section. Her performance in the opening rounds reflected that: she began with four draws.A defeat to Zhu Jiner in Round 5 triggered a shift in approach. From Round 6 to 11, Vaishali won four games and drew the other two to surge into the lead.“I think in the first half, my games were super shaky. I was just scoring points by luck. The loss against Zhu was very crucial. In the second half, my game started to become better,” explained Vaishali in the post-tournament press conference.Zhu would return later to halt Vaishali’s momentum with a dominant win in Round 12, setting up a thrilling finish. Heading into the final round, Vaishali was in joint lead with Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva.But Vaishali benefited from her compatriot Divya, who held Assaubayeva to a draw. The equation was simple: the Candidates was Vaishali’s if she beat Kateryna Lagno.With all eyes on her, Vaishali held her nerve to systematically dismantle Lagno’s defence and claim the requisite point. The spotlight had never shone brighter.When asked what changed for her in Cyprus, Vaishali replied: “I think it’s just [the result of] continuous hard work. Somehow, I was not getting results in the last couple of years. I think everything came together here in this tournament.”The chaotic unfolding of the women’s section stood in contrast to the procession-like nature of the open section. Javokhir Sindarov dominated the Candidates, tallying 10 points, the most any player has accumulated in a single edition. Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov’s unbeaten run, sealed with a round to spare, sets up a World Chess Championship clash against D. Gukesh later this year.
| Photo Credit:
Niki Riga / FIDE
Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov’s unbeaten run, sealed with a round to spare, sets up a World Chess Championship clash against D. Gukesh later this year.
| Photo Credit:
Niki Riga / FIDE
The Uzbek GM, playing his maiden Candidates, blazed through the opening rounds, winning five of his first six games to open up a sizeable lead.What stood out most in those early games was Sindarov’s razor-sharp opening preparation, which helped him outfox his experienced opponents. This often gave him a significant advantage on the clock, allowing him to dictate the middlegame and steer games towards inevitable wins.In Round 5, Sindarov drew World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura into a compromised position with precise opening play. The American struggled to untangle himself and ended up spending over 67 minutes on a move, the second-longest any player has taken for a single move in Candidates history.Despite burning time on the clock, Hikaru chose a move (13. h4) that only worsened his position. Sindarov seized the advantage and coasted to a comfortable win.Such was Sindarov’s dominance that even a mid-tournament accidental leak of his opening routines on the online chess portal Lichess barely slowed his charge.With the title almost secured, the 20-year-old shifted into a pragmatic mode in the latter half of the Candidates. There were no desperate pushes or unnecessary experiments as he steered games into comfortable draws to seal the biggest triumph of his career with a round to spare.For the quietly confident Sindarov, this was a performance he always believed he was capable of.“In my opinion, I’m one of the [most] talented players. But you can never predict that you will become the world champion, because it is very hard and you need to be lucky.”“I have always believed I can be one of the strongest players in the world and cross the 2800 rating. I’m very happy, but I’m not surprised to win this tournament because I always believed in myself,” said Sindarov.As Sindarov claimed the spotlight emphatically, the much-hyped Fabiano Caruana and Nakamura receded into the background.The American GMs entered as favourites, backed by their experience against a comparatively inexperienced field.But both Caruana and Nakamura flattered to deceive, withering under Sindarov’s onslaught. It remains to be seen whether the two veterans have the energy and motivation to navigate another Candidates cycle in pursuit of a long-overdue World title.India’s sole hope in the open category, Praggnanandhaa, was left behind as well. The 20-year-old began with a confident opening-round win against Dutch GM Anish Giri but fell away from there, failing to win another game to finish seventh in the eight-man standings.Sindarov will now square off against India’s D. Gukesh for the world title in a 14-game match scheduled for later this year. Their clash has already created history, as it will be the youngest World Chess Championship final of all time, with both players under 21 and Gukesh six months younger than his rival.This will also be the second consecutive all-Asian World Championship final, signalling a shift in the balance of global chess.With Gukesh’s recent form in decline, Sindarov has already been labelled the favourite.Meanwhile, Gukesh has announced that he will scale back his tournament commitments as he prepares for the title defence.Sindarov, however, is wary of underestimating his opponent.“I will play against one of the strongest players in the world, and we both have equal chances. Probably, because he played in a [World Championship] match, he has more experience, so a little bit more chance [for him]. Our playing strengths are very close. It will be a very interesting match,” explained Sindarov.Published on Apr 16, 2026 #Candidates #review #Vaishali #finds #moment #Sindarov #owns #field")