Welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of the eleventh round of the FIDE Candidates 2026 tournament happening in Cyprus on Saturday.
R Praggnanandhaa (White) vs Matthias Bluebaum (Black) – R 11 Board
R Vaishali (Black) vs Aleksandra Goryachkina (White) – R 11 Board
Divya Deshmukh (Black) vs Zhu Jiner (White) – R 11 Board
April 11, 2026 17:55
Enjoy chess, and try to play a lot: Caruana’s message to 8-year-olds picking up Chess – Watch
April 11, 2026 17:48
Sindarov first played Pragg when he was 7 years old. Listen below
April 11, 2026 17:46
Can Sindarov hold on to go all the way
Sindarov currently holds a good two-pointlead over the rest of the field. Praggnanandhaa is 4 points behind the leader with only four rounds remaining.
April 11, 2026 17:43
Praggnanandhaa vs Matthias Bluebaum
tonight
R Praggnanandhaa enters Round 11 after a defeat to open-section leader Javokhir Sindarov. Praggnanandhaa opened well, but a mid-game error under pressure led to the Indian’s resignation.
April 11, 2026 17:40
Tough contest awaits Divya Deshmukh
Divya Deshmukh’s campaign has been hindered in the last two rounds following losses to R Vaishali in Round 9 and to Aleksandra Goryachkina in Round 10. She is playing Zhu Jiner tonight, against whom she lost in Round 5 earlier.
April 11, 2026 17:37
Women’s section as it stands
Vaishali is closely followed by Anna Muzychuk. Zhu Jiner is in second place with 5.5 points, and Goryachkina sits third with 5 points.
April 11, 2026 17:35
It is Vaishali vs Goryachkina today
R Vaishali enters the Round 11 contest tonight as the sole leader with 6 points. She will play Aleksandra Goryachkina with the black pieces today.
April 11, 2026 17:32
Women section pairings for Round 11 today
Kateryna Lagno — Anna Muzychuk Tan Zhongyi — Bibisara Assaubayeva Zhu Jiner — Divya Deshmukh Aleksandra Goryachkina — Vaishali Rameshbabu
April 11, 2026 17:32
Open section pairings for Round 11 today
Anish Giri — Andrey Esipenko Hikaru Nakamura — Wei Yi Fabiano Caruana — Javokhir Sindarov Praggnanandhaa R — Matthias Bluebaum
April 11, 2026 17:31
We are nearing the final end of the tournament
Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of the FIDE Candidates 2026 taking place in Cyprus.
FIDE Candidates 2026: Check out all Live updates from Round 11 of the Candidates tournament happening in Cyprus on Saturday.
Updated : Apr 11, 2026 17:55 IST
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Welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of the eleventh round of the FIDE Candidates 2026 tournament happening in Cyprus on Saturday.
R Praggnanandhaa (White) vs Matthias Bluebaum (Black) – R 11 Board
R Vaishali (Black) vs Aleksandra Goryachkina (White) – R 11 Board
Divya Deshmukh (Black) vs Zhu Jiner (White) – R 11 Board
April 11, 2026 17:55
Enjoy chess, and try to play a lot: Caruana’s message to 8-year-olds picking up Chess – Watch
April 11, 2026 17:48
Sindarov first played Pragg when he was 7 years old. Listen below
April 11, 2026 17:46
Can Sindarov hold on to go all the way
Sindarov currently holds a good two-pointlead over the rest of the field. Praggnanandhaa is 4 points behind the leader with only four rounds remaining.
April 11, 2026 17:43
Praggnanandhaa vs Matthias Bluebaum
tonight
R Praggnanandhaa enters Round 11 after a defeat to open-section leader Javokhir Sindarov. Praggnanandhaa opened well, but a mid-game error under pressure led to the Indian’s resignation.
April 11, 2026 17:40
Tough contest awaits Divya Deshmukh
Divya Deshmukh’s campaign has been hindered in the last two rounds following losses to R Vaishali in Round 9 and to Aleksandra Goryachkina in Round 10. She is playing Zhu Jiner tonight, against whom she lost in Round 5 earlier.
April 11, 2026 17:37
Women’s section as it stands
Vaishali is closely followed by Anna Muzychuk. Zhu Jiner is in second place with 5.5 points, and Goryachkina sits third with 5 points.
April 11, 2026 17:35
It is Vaishali vs Goryachkina today
R Vaishali enters the Round 11 contest tonight as the sole leader with 6 points. She will play Aleksandra Goryachkina with the black pieces today.
April 11, 2026 17:32
Women section pairings for Round 11 today
Kateryna Lagno — Anna Muzychuk Tan Zhongyi — Bibisara Assaubayeva Zhu Jiner — Divya Deshmukh Aleksandra Goryachkina — Vaishali Rameshbabu
April 11, 2026 17:32
Open section pairings for Round 11 today
Anish Giri — Andrey Esipenko Hikaru Nakamura — Wei Yi Fabiano Caruana — Javokhir Sindarov Praggnanandhaa R — Matthias Bluebaum
April 11, 2026 17:31
We are nearing the final end of the tournament
Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of the FIDE Candidates 2026 taking place in Cyprus.
With Rohit set to turn 39 later this month and Kohli just a year younger, Pollard also brushed aside concerns around age, pointing to examples of longevity in modern cricket.
“Imran Tahir is playing somewhere in the world at 46 or 47. MS Dhoni is still playing at 44. Fortunately, I’m still playing around the world at 39. Different things motivate individuals to continue playing,” he said.
“These guys have done well for cricket overall. We tend to focus on age and what they should or shouldn’t do. We should honour players who have put smiles on our faces over time and let them decide when it’s time.”
With Rohit set to turn 39 later this month and Kohli just a year younger, Pollard also brushed aside concerns around age, pointing to examples of longevity in modern cricket.
“Imran Tahir is playing somewhere in the world at 46 or 47. MS Dhoni is still playing at 44. Fortunately, I’m still playing around the world at 39. Different things motivate individuals to continue playing,” he said.
“These guys have done well for cricket overall. We tend to focus on age and what they should or shouldn’t do. We should honour players who have put smiles on our faces over time and let them decide when it’s time.”
Published on Apr 11, 2026
#RCB #IPL #Kieron #Pollard #dials #Rohit #SharmaVirat #Kohli #narrative #ahead #marquee #clash">MI vs RCB, IPL 2026: Kieron Pollard dials down Rohit Sharma–Virat Kohli narrative ahead of marquee clash
Having played with and against the two veterans who will once again command attention on Sunday night, Kieron Pollard sought to dial down the Rohit Sharma–Virat Kohli narrative ahead of Mumbai Indians’ marquee clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium.
Pollard, now Mumbai Indians’ batting coach, insisted that the contest was bigger than individual rivalries, even as he acknowledged the value of the two stalwarts.
“You say it’s a Rohit-Kohli show. I look at it as Mumbai Indians versus RCB. Let the individuals enjoy this phase of their careers. They are still performing, they are still doing well. And even if they are not, they deserve the right to decide certain things,” Pollard said on Saturday.
“I’m happy that there are experienced guys still around. You need them to guide the younger players coming through, who will be the superstars in the next 10 to 15 years.”
With Rohit set to turn 39 later this month and Kohli just a year younger, Pollard also brushed aside concerns around age, pointing to examples of longevity in modern cricket.
“Imran Tahir is playing somewhere in the world at 46 or 47. MS Dhoni is still playing at 44. Fortunately, I’m still playing around the world at 39. Different things motivate individuals to continue playing,” he said.
“These guys have done well for cricket overall. We tend to focus on age and what they should or shouldn’t do. We should honour players who have put smiles on our faces over time and let them decide when it’s time.”
#Deadspin #Jacob #Lopez #continue #Athletics #torrid #pitching #Mets">Deadspin | Jacob Lopez looks to continue Athletics’ torrid pitching vs. Mets
Apr 5, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Jacob Lopez (57) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
The matchup of the Athletics’ stingy pitching staff and the New York Mets’ suddenly punchless offense went as one might expect on Friday.
The A’s will look to continue suffocating opponents Saturday afternoon when they visit the Mets in the middle contest of a three-game interleague series.
Left-hander Jacob Lopez (0-1, 6.48 ERA) is slated to start for the Athletics against Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (0-1, 3.09).
A quintet of pitchers for the Athletics combined to allow just six hits in 4-0 win on Friday.
The shutout was the second straight for the Athletics, who had three pitchers — Jeffrey Springs, Justin Sterner and Hogan Harris — combine for a one-hitter in a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday afternoon.
The Athletics received a surprise boost Friday from J.T. Ginn, who made his first start of the year and allowed just one hit — a bunt single by Jared Young — over four innings.
Mark Leiter, winning pitcher Jack Perkins, Scott Barlow and Elvis Alvarado recorded the final 15 outs for the A’s, who haven’t allowed a run since the first inning of Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the Yankees — a 26-frame span in which they’ve surrendered just eight hits.
“Awesome job again tonight,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said on Friday.
The repetition wasn’t nearly as satisfying for the Mets, who have lost their last three games by a combined score of 18-3.
The skid followed a four-game winning streak in which New York outscored the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks 28-8. That dominance came despite playing all but one inning without left fielder Juan Soto, who is expected to be out until late this month with strained right calf suffered April 3.
The Mets are batting just .200 (20-of-100) over the last three games, during which they’ve used three different No. 3 hitters — Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr. and Young — while Bo Bichette bats second in place of Soto. Polanco has sat out the last two contests due to bursitis in his left Achilles.
New York didn’t get a runner into scoring position Friday until the sixth inning, when Francisco Lindor and Bichette led off with singles before Lindor was thrown out by Nick Kurtz trying to scramble back to third base on Young’s grounder to first.
“Soto is irreplaceable, he’s one of the best hitters in the game,” Lindor said. “But guys understand that we’ve got to get it done.”
Neither Lopez nor Senga factored into the decision in their previous starts last Sunday. Lopez gave up three runs over 4 1/3 innings in the Athletics’ 12-10, 10-inning win over the Houston Astros, while Senga allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings in the Mets’ 5-2 victory over the Giants.
Lopez threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in his lone previous appearance against the Mets on May 5, 2024, when he was pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Senga is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two career starts against the A’s.
World Under-23 champion Sujeet Kalkal (65kg) and Abhimanyou Mandwal (70kg) posted contrasting wins to secure maiden titles, while Olympics bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat (61kg) and Mukul Dahiya (86kg) reached their respective finals to confirm two more medals at the Asian wrestling championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Saturday.
Indian freestyle wrestlers bagged four medals on the penultimate day.
Sujeet gave a clinical performance to record a convincing 8-1 victory over 2025 World Wrestling Championships bronze medallist Umidjon Jalolov. Against the highly defensive Uzbek, Sujeet, who led 2-0 at the break, executed three take-downs in the second period to assert his supremacy.
Abhimanyou, an Asian bronze medallist in 2024, erased a two-point deficit to shock double Worlds medallist Mongol Tomor-Ochiryn Tulga 5-3 in the 70kg final.
Sandeep Singh Mann lost 1-2 to Japan’s Keyvan Gharehdaghi in the 79kg summit clash to take silver.
Ankush (57kg) beat Japan’s Fuga Sasaki 8-2 to win bronze.
Meanwhile, Aman Sehrawat, who jumped from 57kg to 61kg, defeated Korea’s Kim Changsu 11-0 and Iran’s Ahmad Masoud 11-9 on his way to the final.
Mukul got past Uzbekistan’s Bobur Islomov 2-0, Bahrain’s Khidir Saipudinov 9-0 and Kazakhstan’s Bolat Sakayev 12-6 to reach the summit clash.
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