Deadspin | Rory McIlroy to begin Masters defense paired with Cameron Young  Apr 7, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy walks off of no. 7 with his caddie, Harry Diamond, during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-Imagn Images   AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy will begin the defense of his first Masters title paired with World No. 3 Cameron Young at 10:31 a.m. on Thursday.  McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Young, who won The Players Championship last month, will be paired with 18-year-old amateur Mason Howell for the first two rounds at Augusta National. They comprise the penultimate group in the Thursday’s morning wave.  Howell, a Thomasville, Ga., native who has committed to play for the University of Georgia next year, earned the traditional spot in this grouping as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. The group will tee off at 1:44 p.m. in Friday’s second round.  The 90th edition of the Masters will officially begin at 7:25 a.m. on Thursday with honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson. The first official playing group will then be John Keefer and China’s Haotong Li, one of only two twosomes in the 91-player field.  World No. 1 and two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler will tee off in the penultimate grouping at 1:44 p.m. along with Gary Woodland and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre.  Two other featured groupings are Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick at 10:07 a.m., and Chris Gotterup, Spain’s Jon Rahm and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg at 1:08 p.m.  PAIRINGS | THURSDAY/FRIDAY  –Gary Player (honorary starter), Jack Nicklaus (honorary starter), Tom Watson (honorary starter) | 7:25 a.m.  –John Keefer, Haotong Li (China) | 7:40 a.m., 10:51 a.m.   –Naoyuki Kataoka (Japan), Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) | 7:50 a.m., 11:03 a.m.  –Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Denmark), Aldrich Potgieter (South Africa) | 8:02 a.m., 11:15 a.m.  –Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Sami Valimaki (Finland), *Jackson Herrington | 8:14 a.m. 11:27 a.m.  –Charl Schwartzel (S. Africa), Max Greyserman, Ryan Fox (New Zealand) | 8:26 a.m./11:39 a.m.  –Vijay Singh (Fiji), Matt McCarty, Rasmus Hojgaard (Denmark) | 8:38 a.m./11:51 a.m.  –Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan (Norway), Casey Jarvis (S. Africa) | 8:50 a.m./12:03 p.m.  –Bubba Watson, Nicolas Echavarria (Colombia), *Brandon Holtz | 9:02 a.m./12:15 p.m.  –Cameron Smith (Australia), Sam Burns, Jake Knapp | 9:19 a.m./12:32 p.m.  –Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor (Canada) | 9:31 a.m./12:44 p.m.  –Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry (Ireland), Jason Day (Australia) | 9:43 a.m./12:56 p.m.  –Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood (England), Akshay Bhatia | 9:55 a.m./1:08 p.m.  –Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick (England), Xander Schauffele | 10:07 a.m./1:20 p.m.   –Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) , Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley | 10:19 a.m./1:32 p.m.  –Rory McIlroy (N. Ireland), Cameron Young, *Mason Howell | 10:31 a.m./1:44 p.m.  –Viktor Hovland (Norway), Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren (Sweden) | 10:43 a.m./1:56 p.m.  –Samuel Stevens, Sungjae Im (Korea) | 11:03 a.m./7:40 a.m.  –Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin (N. Ireland), Brian Campbell | 11:15 a.m./7:50 a.m.  –Mike Weir (Canada), Wyndham Clark, *Mateo Pulcini (Argentina) | 11:27 a.m./8:02 a.m.  –Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark) | 11:39 a.m./8:14 a.m.  –Danny Willett (England), Davis Riley, *Ethan Fang | 11:51 a.m./8:26 a.m.  –Adam Scott (Australia), Daniel Berger, Brian Harman | 12:03 p.m./8:38 a.m.  –Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee (Australia), *Fifa Laopakdee (Thailand) | 12:15 p.m./8:50 a.m.  –Sergio Garcia (Spain), Aaron Rai (England), Jacob Bridgeman | 12:27 p.m./9:02 a.m.  –Harry Hall (England), Corey Conners (Canada), Michael Brennan | 12:44 p.m./9:19 a.m.  –J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrrell Hatton (England) | 12:56 p.m./9:31 a.m.  –Jon Rahm (Spain), Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Aberg (Sweden) | 1:08 p.m./9:43 a.m.  –Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose (England), Brooks Koepka | 1:20 p.m./9:55 a.m.  –Sepp Straka (Austria), Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas | 1:32 p.m./10:07 a.m.  –Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre (Scotland), Gary Woodland | 1:44 p.m./10:19 a.m.  –Harris English, Marco Penge (England), Si Woo Kim (Korea) | 1:56 p.m./10:31 a.m.  *Denotes amateur  The broadcast for the Masters will begin for the first time on Amazon Prime Video, which will begin its live coverage with an exclusive two-hour window beginning at 1 p.m. That will lead into the start of ESPN’s coverage at 3 p.m.  –Derek Harper, Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Rory #McIlroy #Masters #defense #paired #Cameron #Young

Deadspin | Rory McIlroy to begin Masters defense paired with Cameron Young
Deadspin | Rory McIlroy to begin Masters defense paired with Cameron Young  Apr 7, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy walks off of no. 7 with his caddie, Harry Diamond, during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-Imagn Images   AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy will begin the defense of his first Masters title paired with World No. 3 Cameron Young at 10:31 a.m. on Thursday.  McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Young, who won The Players Championship last month, will be paired with 18-year-old amateur Mason Howell for the first two rounds at Augusta National. They comprise the penultimate group in the Thursday’s morning wave.  Howell, a Thomasville, Ga., native who has committed to play for the University of Georgia next year, earned the traditional spot in this grouping as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. The group will tee off at 1:44 p.m. in Friday’s second round.  The 90th edition of the Masters will officially begin at 7:25 a.m. on Thursday with honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson. The first official playing group will then be John Keefer and China’s Haotong Li, one of only two twosomes in the 91-player field.  World No. 1 and two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler will tee off in the penultimate grouping at 1:44 p.m. along with Gary Woodland and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre.  Two other featured groupings are Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick at 10:07 a.m., and Chris Gotterup, Spain’s Jon Rahm and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg at 1:08 p.m.  PAIRINGS | THURSDAY/FRIDAY  –Gary Player (honorary starter), Jack Nicklaus (honorary starter), Tom Watson (honorary starter) | 7:25 a.m.  –John Keefer, Haotong Li (China) | 7:40 a.m., 10:51 a.m.   –Naoyuki Kataoka (Japan), Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) | 7:50 a.m., 11:03 a.m.  –Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Denmark), Aldrich Potgieter (South Africa) | 8:02 a.m., 11:15 a.m.  –Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Sami Valimaki (Finland), *Jackson Herrington | 8:14 a.m. 11:27 a.m.  –Charl Schwartzel (S. Africa), Max Greyserman, Ryan Fox (New Zealand) | 8:26 a.m./11:39 a.m.  –Vijay Singh (Fiji), Matt McCarty, Rasmus Hojgaard (Denmark) | 8:38 a.m./11:51 a.m.  –Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan (Norway), Casey Jarvis (S. Africa) | 8:50 a.m./12:03 p.m.  –Bubba Watson, Nicolas Echavarria (Colombia), *Brandon Holtz | 9:02 a.m./12:15 p.m.  –Cameron Smith (Australia), Sam Burns, Jake Knapp | 9:19 a.m./12:32 p.m.  –Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor (Canada) | 9:31 a.m./12:44 p.m.  –Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry (Ireland), Jason Day (Australia) | 9:43 a.m./12:56 p.m.  –Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood (England), Akshay Bhatia | 9:55 a.m./1:08 p.m.  –Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick (England), Xander Schauffele | 10:07 a.m./1:20 p.m.   –Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) , Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley | 10:19 a.m./1:32 p.m.  –Rory McIlroy (N. Ireland), Cameron Young, *Mason Howell | 10:31 a.m./1:44 p.m.  –Viktor Hovland (Norway), Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren (Sweden) | 10:43 a.m./1:56 p.m.  –Samuel Stevens, Sungjae Im (Korea) | 11:03 a.m./7:40 a.m.  –Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin (N. Ireland), Brian Campbell | 11:15 a.m./7:50 a.m.  –Mike Weir (Canada), Wyndham Clark, *Mateo Pulcini (Argentina) | 11:27 a.m./8:02 a.m.  –Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark) | 11:39 a.m./8:14 a.m.  –Danny Willett (England), Davis Riley, *Ethan Fang | 11:51 a.m./8:26 a.m.  –Adam Scott (Australia), Daniel Berger, Brian Harman | 12:03 p.m./8:38 a.m.  –Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee (Australia), *Fifa Laopakdee (Thailand) | 12:15 p.m./8:50 a.m.  –Sergio Garcia (Spain), Aaron Rai (England), Jacob Bridgeman | 12:27 p.m./9:02 a.m.  –Harry Hall (England), Corey Conners (Canada), Michael Brennan | 12:44 p.m./9:19 a.m.  –J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrrell Hatton (England) | 12:56 p.m./9:31 a.m.  –Jon Rahm (Spain), Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Aberg (Sweden) | 1:08 p.m./9:43 a.m.  –Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose (England), Brooks Koepka | 1:20 p.m./9:55 a.m.  –Sepp Straka (Austria), Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas | 1:32 p.m./10:07 a.m.  –Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre (Scotland), Gary Woodland | 1:44 p.m./10:19 a.m.  –Harris English, Marco Penge (England), Si Woo Kim (Korea) | 1:56 p.m./10:31 a.m.  *Denotes amateur  The broadcast for the Masters will begin for the first time on Amazon Prime Video, which will begin its live coverage with an exclusive two-hour window beginning at 1 p.m. That will lead into the start of ESPN’s coverage at 3 p.m.  –Derek Harper, Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Rory #McIlroy #Masters #defense #paired #Cameron #YoungApr 7, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy walks off of no. 7 with his caddie, Harry Diamond, during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-Imagn Images

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy will begin the defense of his first Masters title paired with World No. 3 Cameron Young at 10:31 a.m. on Thursday.

McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Young, who won The Players Championship last month, will be paired with 18-year-old amateur Mason Howell for the first two rounds at Augusta National. They comprise the penultimate group in the Thursday’s morning wave.

Howell, a Thomasville, Ga., native who has committed to play for the University of Georgia next year, earned the traditional spot in this grouping as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. The group will tee off at 1:44 p.m. in Friday’s second round.

The 90th edition of the Masters will officially begin at 7:25 a.m. on Thursday with honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson. The first official playing group will then be John Keefer and China’s Haotong Li, one of only two twosomes in the 91-player field.

World No. 1 and two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler will tee off in the penultimate grouping at 1:44 p.m. along with Gary Woodland and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre.

Two other featured groupings are Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick at 10:07 a.m., and Chris Gotterup, Spain’s Jon Rahm and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg at 1:08 p.m.

PAIRINGS | THURSDAY/FRIDAY

–Gary Player (honorary starter), Jack Nicklaus (honorary starter), Tom Watson (honorary starter) | 7:25 a.m.

–John Keefer, Haotong Li (China) | 7:40 a.m., 10:51 a.m.

–Naoyuki Kataoka (Japan), Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) | 7:50 a.m., 11:03 a.m.

–Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Denmark), Aldrich Potgieter (South Africa) | 8:02 a.m., 11:15 a.m.

–Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Sami Valimaki (Finland), *Jackson Herrington | 8:14 a.m. 11:27 a.m.

–Charl Schwartzel (S. Africa), Max Greyserman, Ryan Fox (New Zealand) | 8:26 a.m./11:39 a.m.

–Vijay Singh (Fiji), Matt McCarty, Rasmus Hojgaard (Denmark) | 8:38 a.m./11:51 a.m.

–Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan (Norway), Casey Jarvis (S. Africa) | 8:50 a.m./12:03 p.m.

–Bubba Watson, Nicolas Echavarria (Colombia), *Brandon Holtz | 9:02 a.m./12:15 p.m.

–Cameron Smith (Australia), Sam Burns, Jake Knapp | 9:19 a.m./12:32 p.m.

–Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor (Canada) | 9:31 a.m./12:44 p.m.

–Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry (Ireland), Jason Day (Australia) | 9:43 a.m./12:56 p.m.

–Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood (England), Akshay Bhatia | 9:55 a.m./1:08 p.m.


–Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick (England), Xander Schauffele | 10:07 a.m./1:20 p.m.

–Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) , Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley | 10:19 a.m./1:32 p.m.

–Rory McIlroy (N. Ireland), Cameron Young, *Mason Howell | 10:31 a.m./1:44 p.m.

–Viktor Hovland (Norway), Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren (Sweden) | 10:43 a.m./1:56 p.m.

–Samuel Stevens, Sungjae Im (Korea) | 11:03 a.m./7:40 a.m.

–Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin (N. Ireland), Brian Campbell | 11:15 a.m./7:50 a.m.

–Mike Weir (Canada), Wyndham Clark, *Mateo Pulcini (Argentina) | 11:27 a.m./8:02 a.m.

–Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark) | 11:39 a.m./8:14 a.m.

–Danny Willett (England), Davis Riley, *Ethan Fang | 11:51 a.m./8:26 a.m.

–Adam Scott (Australia), Daniel Berger, Brian Harman | 12:03 p.m./8:38 a.m.

–Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee (Australia), *Fifa Laopakdee (Thailand) | 12:15 p.m./8:50 a.m.

–Sergio Garcia (Spain), Aaron Rai (England), Jacob Bridgeman | 12:27 p.m./9:02 a.m.

–Harry Hall (England), Corey Conners (Canada), Michael Brennan | 12:44 p.m./9:19 a.m.

–J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrrell Hatton (England) | 12:56 p.m./9:31 a.m.

–Jon Rahm (Spain), Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Aberg (Sweden) | 1:08 p.m./9:43 a.m.

–Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose (England), Brooks Koepka | 1:20 p.m./9:55 a.m.

–Sepp Straka (Austria), Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas | 1:32 p.m./10:07 a.m.

–Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre (Scotland), Gary Woodland | 1:44 p.m./10:19 a.m.

–Harris English, Marco Penge (England), Si Woo Kim (Korea) | 1:56 p.m./10:31 a.m.

*Denotes amateur

The broadcast for the Masters will begin for the first time on Amazon Prime Video, which will begin its live coverage with an exclusive two-hour window beginning at 1 p.m. That will lead into the start of ESPN’s coverage at 3 p.m.


–Derek Harper, Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Rory #McIlroy #Masters #defense #paired #Cameron #Young

Apr 7, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy walks off of no. 7 with his caddie, Harry Diamond, during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-Imagn Images

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy will begin the defense of his first Masters title paired with World No. 3 Cameron Young at 10:31 a.m. on Thursday.

McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Young, who won The Players Championship last month, will be paired with 18-year-old amateur Mason Howell for the first two rounds at Augusta National. They comprise the penultimate group in the Thursday’s morning wave.

Howell, a Thomasville, Ga., native who has committed to play for the University of Georgia next year, earned the traditional spot in this grouping as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. The group will tee off at 1:44 p.m. in Friday’s second round.

The 90th edition of the Masters will officially begin at 7:25 a.m. on Thursday with honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson. The first official playing group will then be John Keefer and China’s Haotong Li, one of only two twosomes in the 91-player field.

World No. 1 and two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler will tee off in the penultimate grouping at 1:44 p.m. along with Gary Woodland and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre.

Two other featured groupings are Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick at 10:07 a.m., and Chris Gotterup, Spain’s Jon Rahm and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg at 1:08 p.m.

PAIRINGS | THURSDAY/FRIDAY

–Gary Player (honorary starter), Jack Nicklaus (honorary starter), Tom Watson (honorary starter) | 7:25 a.m.

–John Keefer, Haotong Li (China) | 7:40 a.m., 10:51 a.m.

–Naoyuki Kataoka (Japan), Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) | 7:50 a.m., 11:03 a.m.

–Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Denmark), Aldrich Potgieter (South Africa) | 8:02 a.m., 11:15 a.m.

–Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Sami Valimaki (Finland), *Jackson Herrington | 8:14 a.m. 11:27 a.m.

–Charl Schwartzel (S. Africa), Max Greyserman, Ryan Fox (New Zealand) | 8:26 a.m./11:39 a.m.

–Vijay Singh (Fiji), Matt McCarty, Rasmus Hojgaard (Denmark) | 8:38 a.m./11:51 a.m.

–Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan (Norway), Casey Jarvis (S. Africa) | 8:50 a.m./12:03 p.m.

–Bubba Watson, Nicolas Echavarria (Colombia), *Brandon Holtz | 9:02 a.m./12:15 p.m.

–Cameron Smith (Australia), Sam Burns, Jake Knapp | 9:19 a.m./12:32 p.m.

–Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor (Canada) | 9:31 a.m./12:44 p.m.

–Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry (Ireland), Jason Day (Australia) | 9:43 a.m./12:56 p.m.

–Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood (England), Akshay Bhatia | 9:55 a.m./1:08 p.m.

–Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick (England), Xander Schauffele | 10:07 a.m./1:20 p.m.

–Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) , Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley | 10:19 a.m./1:32 p.m.

–Rory McIlroy (N. Ireland), Cameron Young, *Mason Howell | 10:31 a.m./1:44 p.m.

–Viktor Hovland (Norway), Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren (Sweden) | 10:43 a.m./1:56 p.m.

–Samuel Stevens, Sungjae Im (Korea) | 11:03 a.m./7:40 a.m.

–Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin (N. Ireland), Brian Campbell | 11:15 a.m./7:50 a.m.

–Mike Weir (Canada), Wyndham Clark, *Mateo Pulcini (Argentina) | 11:27 a.m./8:02 a.m.

–Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark) | 11:39 a.m./8:14 a.m.

–Danny Willett (England), Davis Riley, *Ethan Fang | 11:51 a.m./8:26 a.m.

–Adam Scott (Australia), Daniel Berger, Brian Harman | 12:03 p.m./8:38 a.m.

–Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee (Australia), *Fifa Laopakdee (Thailand) | 12:15 p.m./8:50 a.m.

–Sergio Garcia (Spain), Aaron Rai (England), Jacob Bridgeman | 12:27 p.m./9:02 a.m.

–Harry Hall (England), Corey Conners (Canada), Michael Brennan | 12:44 p.m./9:19 a.m.

–J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrrell Hatton (England) | 12:56 p.m./9:31 a.m.

–Jon Rahm (Spain), Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Aberg (Sweden) | 1:08 p.m./9:43 a.m.

–Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose (England), Brooks Koepka | 1:20 p.m./9:55 a.m.

–Sepp Straka (Austria), Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas | 1:32 p.m./10:07 a.m.

–Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre (Scotland), Gary Woodland | 1:44 p.m./10:19 a.m.

–Harris English, Marco Penge (England), Si Woo Kim (Korea) | 1:56 p.m./10:31 a.m.

*Denotes amateur

The broadcast for the Masters will begin for the first time on Amazon Prime Video, which will begin its live coverage with an exclusive two-hour window beginning at 1 p.m. That will lead into the start of ESPN’s coverage at 3 p.m.

–Derek Harper, Field Level Media

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FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, Round 8: Sindarov drops points, held to draw by Esipenko <div id="content-body-70835314" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Divya Deshmukh produced one of the standout results of the round, toppling leader Anna Muzychuk to share the lead at the ongoing FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 in Cyprus on Tuesday.</p><p>Playing her first Candidates, Divya weathered sustained pressure before turning the game around in the closing stages. The result lifted her to joint-top alongside Muzychuk, R Vaishali, Zhu Jiner and Kateryna Lagno.</p><p>For much of the middlegame and early endgame, Muzychuk appeared in control, maintaining pressure and keeping Divya tied down. The position drifted towards equality, with a draw looking the likely outcome as the players entered a queen endgame.</p><p>The turning point came in the sequence beginning 76.Qc8+ Kf5 77.Qh8+ Kg6 78.Qg8+ Kh6, when Divya began forcing checks. Instead of repeating moves, she kept the king on the move, gradually exposing it.</p><p>On move 80, Muzychuk chose Kh5, stepping further into the open. Divya seized the moment, forcing the king into a narrow corridor before switching from checks to a decisive attack, leaving Muzychuk without a safe continuation.</p><p><b>ALSO READ: <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/chess/fide-candidates-2026-live-updates-round-8-boards-praggnandhaa-divya-vaishali-live/article70833880.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Check out all the live updates from Round 8 as it happened, over here</a></b></p><p>In the other games in the women’s section, Vaishali drew against Bibisara Assaubayeva, Lagno defeated Aleksandra Goryachkina, and Zhu Jiner beat Tan Zhongyi.</p><p>In the open section, leader Javokhir Sindarov could not complete a double over Andrey Esipenko, as their second-half encounter ended in a draw.</p><p>The game began at a brisk pace and remained balanced between moves 11 and 18, with both players simplifying the centre and activating their pieces. The critical moment came on move 17, when Sindarov played Na5 to target the c6 bishop, but the sequence that followed led to further simplification. By move 19, both kings were relatively safe, with no clear pawn breaks or attacking chances, and the game drifted towards a draw.</p><p>Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa’s bid to close the gap on Sindarov suffered a setback, as Anish Giri avenged his first-round loss with a win.</p><p>The game remained relatively balanced into the middlegame, but Praggnanandhaa never looked entirely comfortable, with Giri gradually building pressure. The decisive moment came with 36.e6, which created a dangerous passed pawn and disrupted Black’s coordination.</p><p>Praggnanandhaa attempted counterplay with 38…h5, but it backfired, forcing him into a passive position. Giri then seized the initiative with 41.Rf8+ Kh7, and with the black king exposed in the final phase, Praggnanandhaa was compelled to resign.</p><p>Hikaru Nakamura registered his first win of the tournament, defeating Fabiano Caruana, while Wei Yi drew against Matthias Bluebaum.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 07, 2026</p></div> #FIDE #Candidates #Tournament #Sindarov #drops #points #held #draw #Esipenko

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Deadspin | Giants, Phillies to play Thursday doubleheader after postponement  Jun 21, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tarp covers the infield during rain delay before start of game Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images   Wednesday’s scheduled game between the San Francisco Giants and Phillies in Philadelphia has been postponed due to inclement weather in the forecast.  The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Thursday. The first game is slated to begin at 12:35 p.m. ET, with the nightcap scheduled for 5:35 p.m.  Right-handers Adrian Houser (0-3, 7.36 ERA) of San Francisco and Andrew Painter (1-2, 5.25) of Philadelphia are set to start the first game. The starting pitchers for the nightcap have yet to be announced.   In Tuesday’s series opener, the Phillies shut out the Giants, 7-0, behind seven sharp innings from Jesus Luzardo (2-3), who allowed two hits and struck out eight in Don Mattingy’s debut as interim manager after the firing of Rob Thomson.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Giants #Phillies #play #Thursday #doubleheader #postponementJun 21, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tarp covers the infield during rain delay before start of game Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Wednesday’s scheduled game between the San Francisco Giants and Phillies in Philadelphia has been postponed due to inclement weather in the forecast.

The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Thursday. The first game is slated to begin at 12:35 p.m. ET, with the nightcap scheduled for 5:35 p.m.


Right-handers Adrian Houser (0-3, 7.36 ERA) of San Francisco and Andrew Painter (1-2, 5.25) of Philadelphia are set to start the first game. The starting pitchers for the nightcap have yet to be announced.

In Tuesday’s series opener, the Phillies shut out the Giants, 7-0, behind seven sharp innings from Jesus Luzardo (2-3), who allowed two hits and struck out eight in Don Mattingy’s debut as interim manager after the firing of Rob Thomson.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Giants #Phillies #play #Thursday #doubleheader #postponement">Deadspin | Giants, Phillies to play Thursday doubleheader after postponement  Jun 21, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tarp covers the infield during rain delay before start of game Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images   Wednesday’s scheduled game between the San Francisco Giants and Phillies in Philadelphia has been postponed due to inclement weather in the forecast.  The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Thursday. The first game is slated to begin at 12:35 p.m. ET, with the nightcap scheduled for 5:35 p.m.  Right-handers Adrian Houser (0-3, 7.36 ERA) of San Francisco and Andrew Painter (1-2, 5.25) of Philadelphia are set to start the first game. The starting pitchers for the nightcap have yet to be announced.   In Tuesday’s series opener, the Phillies shut out the Giants, 7-0, behind seven sharp innings from Jesus Luzardo (2-3), who allowed two hits and struck out eight in Don Mattingy’s debut as interim manager after the firing of Rob Thomson.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Giants #Phillies #play #Thursday #doubleheader #postponement

Deadspin | Andrea Pavan ‘optimistic’ of tour return after elevator fall  Jun 12, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Andrea Pavan watches on the 14th hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images   Italian golfer Andrea Pavan is hopeful he can return to the DP World Tour after finishing recovery from his three-story fall down an elevator shaft in late February.  Pavan, 37, sustained severe shoulder and multiple vertebrae fractures in the incident, which occurred at his private accommodation in Stellenbosch, South Africa, before he was set to compete in the South African Open.  “I walked back towards the elevator, I opened the door — one of those doors that get into the apartment straight away — and by the time I realized the lift wasn’t there I’d already taken a step,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live, recalling the incident.  “The next thing I know I’m just at the bottom of the elevator, luckily not unconscious but in a lot of pain and screaming for help. Somebody heard and I was somehow able to get my phone out and call my caddie, who was in the car. From then on it was just trying to survive the pain and waiting for the ambulance and all the firefighters who got me out.”  As he recovers at home after undergoing surgery in South Africa, Pavan is optimistic he hasn’t played the last professional tournament of his career, although he doesn’t yet have a clear timeline to return.   “It’s hard to say a precise goal, there’s more like steps,” Pavan said. “Around three months, we’ll see how well the bone has healed. Around six months, it’s about where complete bone healing happens and we’ll see how the joint is moving by then.  “It depends on if there are other tissues that were damaged if I need a second surgery. And there’s the possibility of necrosis when the blood flow is not sufficient for the bones. There is that risk, but so far it seems like things are positive enough.  “The shoulder is a very demanding joint. Hopefully it’s a little less than a year that I can play with a full swing but it’s just so new and such a big injury, there (are) just a lot of unknowns. But I’m hopeful and the only thing I can do is to try and improve and take it day by day.”  Pavan has won twice on the DP World Tour, with his most recent championship on tour coming in the 2019 BMW International Open. His last overall win came at the Challenge Tour’s D+D Real Czech Challenge in 2023.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Andrea #Pavan #optimistic #tour #return #elevator #fallJun 12, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Andrea Pavan watches on the 14th hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Italian golfer Andrea Pavan is hopeful he can return to the DP World Tour after finishing recovery from his three-story fall down an elevator shaft in late February.

Pavan, 37, sustained severe shoulder and multiple vertebrae fractures in the incident, which occurred at his private accommodation in Stellenbosch, South Africa, before he was set to compete in the South African Open.

“I walked back towards the elevator, I opened the door — one of those doors that get into the apartment straight away — and by the time I realized the lift wasn’t there I’d already taken a step,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live, recalling the incident.

“The next thing I know I’m just at the bottom of the elevator, luckily not unconscious but in a lot of pain and screaming for help. Somebody heard and I was somehow able to get my phone out and call my caddie, who was in the car. From then on it was just trying to survive the pain and waiting for the ambulance and all the firefighters who got me out.”


As he recovers at home after undergoing surgery in South Africa, Pavan is optimistic he hasn’t played the last professional tournament of his career, although he doesn’t yet have a clear timeline to return.

“It’s hard to say a precise goal, there’s more like steps,” Pavan said. “Around three months, we’ll see how well the bone has healed. Around six months, it’s about where complete bone healing happens and we’ll see how the joint is moving by then.

“It depends on if there are other tissues that were damaged if I need a second surgery. And there’s the possibility of necrosis when the blood flow is not sufficient for the bones. There is that risk, but so far it seems like things are positive enough.

“The shoulder is a very demanding joint. Hopefully it’s a little less than a year that I can play with a full swing but it’s just so new and such a big injury, there (are) just a lot of unknowns. But I’m hopeful and the only thing I can do is to try and improve and take it day by day.”

Pavan has won twice on the DP World Tour, with his most recent championship on tour coming in the 2019 BMW International Open. His last overall win came at the Challenge Tour’s D+D Real Czech Challenge in 2023.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Andrea #Pavan #optimistic #tour #return #elevator #fall">Deadspin | Andrea Pavan ‘optimistic’ of tour return after elevator fall  Jun 12, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Andrea Pavan watches on the 14th hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images   Italian golfer Andrea Pavan is hopeful he can return to the DP World Tour after finishing recovery from his three-story fall down an elevator shaft in late February.  Pavan, 37, sustained severe shoulder and multiple vertebrae fractures in the incident, which occurred at his private accommodation in Stellenbosch, South Africa, before he was set to compete in the South African Open.  “I walked back towards the elevator, I opened the door — one of those doors that get into the apartment straight away — and by the time I realized the lift wasn’t there I’d already taken a step,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live, recalling the incident.  “The next thing I know I’m just at the bottom of the elevator, luckily not unconscious but in a lot of pain and screaming for help. Somebody heard and I was somehow able to get my phone out and call my caddie, who was in the car. From then on it was just trying to survive the pain and waiting for the ambulance and all the firefighters who got me out.”  As he recovers at home after undergoing surgery in South Africa, Pavan is optimistic he hasn’t played the last professional tournament of his career, although he doesn’t yet have a clear timeline to return.   “It’s hard to say a precise goal, there’s more like steps,” Pavan said. “Around three months, we’ll see how well the bone has healed. Around six months, it’s about where complete bone healing happens and we’ll see how the joint is moving by then.  “It depends on if there are other tissues that were damaged if I need a second surgery. And there’s the possibility of necrosis when the blood flow is not sufficient for the bones. There is that risk, but so far it seems like things are positive enough.  “The shoulder is a very demanding joint. Hopefully it’s a little less than a year that I can play with a full swing but it’s just so new and such a big injury, there (are) just a lot of unknowns. But I’m hopeful and the only thing I can do is to try and improve and take it day by day.”  Pavan has won twice on the DP World Tour, with his most recent championship on tour coming in the 2019 BMW International Open. His last overall win came at the Challenge Tour’s D+D Real Czech Challenge in 2023.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Andrea #Pavan #optimistic #tour #return #elevator #fall

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