FIDE Candidates 2026 Women’s section: Vaishali stumbles against Zhu Jiner; title-race wide open Grandmaster R. Vaishali succumbed to time pressure as a series of inaccuracies cost her full points in a defeat to Zhu Jiner, who joined her atop the women’s section after Round 12 on Sunday.The game began with a Caro-Kann Defence, with Vaishali, playing White, opting for an aggressive approach and advancing her h-pawn early.In the middlegame, Vaishali played 27. d5, blowing open the centre and turning the contest into a tactical race. She followed it up with Qh7 and Qh8 on moves 31 and 33, paralysing Zhu’s back rank and forcing the knight to f8, with the position appearing completely winning for the Indian.However, as the clock ticked down, Zhu promoted to a second queen with 38. g1=Q+. Vaishali needed to find a precise sequence of checks to force mate or secure a draw, but missed a key safety square for her king. Instead of stabilising, she allowed Zhu to gain tempo, and the Chinese Grandmaster eventually forced her resignation.Published on Apr 12, 2026 #FIDE #Candidates #Womens #section #Vaishali #stumbles #Zhu #Jiner #titlerace #wide #open

Kane Williamson admitted that Lucknow Super Giants need to be “more clinical at home” after their seven-wicket defeat in an IPL match here on Sunday, even as he pointed to challenging pitch conditions and evolving match dynamics as key factors.

Reflecting on the team’s performance across four matches, Williamson, who serves as LSG’s strategy coach, stressed the importance of adapting to varying surfaces.

LSG have lost two of four outings so far.

“We would like to be clinical at home, but context is important. Across the four matches, there’s been a lot of problem-solving required on the surfaces we’ve been on,” the Kiwi said at the post-match press conference.

With high-scoring games becoming common at other venues, Williamson highlighted the contrast in conditions in Lucknow.

“When you turn on the TV and see teams getting 230-240 elsewhere, it’s different. Here, there’s been slow and variable bounce. We want to keep improving in those areas, take the positives, and learn from the rest,” he added.

He noted that the nature of the pitch, especially in a day game, made stroke-making difficult.

“On these surfaces, which tend to slow down, you need to find ways to be effective. They’re not easy to hit on, but at other venues, you’d encourage more freedom if conditions allow,” he explained.

Williamson backed the team’s batting unit, expressing confidence in its ability to deliver consistently, while singling out Nicholas Pooran.

“Today we were an inch away from seeing Pooran at his destructive best. He’s a world-class player, working very hard, and has a strong desire to make big contributions. We’ll keep seeing improvements from him,” he said.

Talking about the changing nature of T20 cricket, Williamson said the introduction of the Impact Player rule has altered team strategies significantly.

“The margins are small now. With Impact Players, teams are effectively batting till eight or nine. It’s more about maximising roles rather than pacing innings like before,” he observed.

He also expressed confidence in Rishabh Pant, calling him a “world-class player” with a proven record across formats.

“All players, including him, have a strong desire to keep evolving. That’s what makes them great,” he said.

Summing up the campaign so far, Williamson said LSG are still in a learning phase despite a mixed start.

“We’re two weeks into a long tournament. The team has scrapped hard on challenging surfaces. We’re two from four but learning a lot and looking forward to the games ahead,” he said.

Providing an update on injured players, he said pace bowler Mayank Yadav is making good progress, while Mohsin Khan is also improving.

“Mayank is really pushing the envelope with his pace, which is exciting. Mohsin is improving well, and hopefully we’ll see both of them fairly soon,” he added.

Published on Apr 12, 2026

#IPL #clinical #home #Williamson #LSGs #sevenwicket #loss">

IPL 2026: Be more clinical at home, says Williamson after LSG’s seven-wicket loss Kane Williamson admitted that Lucknow Super Giants need to be “more clinical at home” after their seven-wicket defeat in an IPL match here on Sunday, even as he pointed to challenging pitch conditions and evolving match dynamics as key factors.Reflecting on the team’s performance across four matches, Williamson, who serves as LSG’s strategy coach, stressed the importance of adapting to varying surfaces.LSG have lost two of four outings so far.“We would like to be clinical at home, but context is important. Across the four matches, there’s been a lot of problem-solving required on the surfaces we’ve been on,” the Kiwi said at the post-match press conference.With high-scoring games becoming common at other venues, Williamson highlighted the contrast in conditions in Lucknow.“When you turn on the TV and see teams getting 230-240 elsewhere, it’s different. Here, there’s been slow and variable bounce. We want to keep improving in those areas, take the positives, and learn from the rest,” he added.He noted that the nature of the pitch, especially in a day game, made stroke-making difficult.“On these surfaces, which tend to slow down, you need to find ways to be effective. They’re not easy to hit on, but at other venues, you’d encourage more freedom if conditions allow,” he explained.Williamson backed the team’s batting unit, expressing confidence in its ability to deliver consistently, while singling out Nicholas Pooran.“Today we were an inch away from seeing Pooran at his destructive best. He’s a world-class player, working very hard, and has a strong desire to make big contributions. We’ll keep seeing improvements from him,” he said.Talking about the changing nature of T20 cricket, Williamson said the introduction of the Impact Player rule has altered team strategies significantly.“The margins are small now. With Impact Players, teams are effectively batting till eight or nine. It’s more about maximising roles rather than pacing innings like before,” he observed.He also expressed confidence in Rishabh Pant, calling him a “world-class player” with a proven record across formats.“All players, including him, have a strong desire to keep evolving. That’s what makes them great,” he said.Summing up the campaign so far, Williamson said LSG are still in a learning phase despite a mixed start.“We’re two weeks into a long tournament. The team has scrapped hard on challenging surfaces. We’re two from four but learning a lot and looking forward to the games ahead,” he said.Providing an update on injured players, he said pace bowler Mayank Yadav is making good progress, while Mohsin Khan is also improving.“Mayank is really pushing the envelope with his pace, which is exciting. Mohsin is improving well, and hopefully we’ll see both of them fairly soon,” he added.Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #clinical #home #Williamson #LSGs #sevenwicket #loss

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Kane Williamson admitted that Lucknow Super Giants need to be “more clinical at home” after their seven-wicket defeat in an IPL match here on Sunday, even as he pointed to challenging pitch conditions and evolving match dynamics as key factors.
Reflecting on the team’s performance across four matches, Williamson, who serves as LSG’s strategy coach, stressed the importance of adapting to varying surfaces.
LSG have lost two of four outings so far.
“We would like to be clinical at home, but context is important. Across the four matches, there’s been a lot of problem-solving required on the surfaces we’ve been on,” the Kiwi said at the post-match press conference.
With high-scoring games becoming common at other venues, Williamson highlighted the contrast in conditions in Lucknow.
“When you turn on the TV and see teams getting 230-240 elsewhere, it’s different. Here, there’s been slow and variable bounce. We want to keep improving in those areas, take the positives, and learn from the rest,” he added.
He noted that the nature of the pitch, especially in a day game, made stroke-making difficult.
“On these surfaces, which tend to slow down, you need to find ways to be effective. They’re not easy to hit on, but at other venues, you’d encourage more freedom if conditions allow,” he explained.
Williamson backed the team’s batting unit, expressing confidence in its ability to deliver consistently, while singling out Nicholas Pooran.
“Today we were an inch away from seeing Pooran at his destructive best. He’s a world-class player, working very hard, and has a strong desire to make big contributions. We’ll keep seeing improvements from him,” he said.
Talking about the changing nature of T20 cricket, Williamson said the introduction of the Impact Player rule has altered team strategies significantly.
“The margins are small now. With Impact Players, teams are effectively batting till eight or nine. It’s more about maximising roles rather than pacing innings like before,” he observed.
He also expressed confidence in Rishabh Pant, calling him a “world-class player” with a proven record across formats.
“All players, including him, have a strong desire to keep evolving. That’s what makes them great,” he said.
Summing up the campaign so far, Williamson said LSG are still in a learning phase despite a mixed start.
“We’re two weeks into a long tournament. The team has scrapped hard on challenging surfaces. We’re two from four but learning a lot and looking forward to the games ahead,” he said.
Providing an update on injured players, he said pace bowler Mayank Yadav is making good progress, while Mohsin Khan is also improving.
“Mayank is really pushing the envelope with his pace, which is exciting. Mohsin is improving well, and hopefully we’ll see both of them fairly soon,” he added.
Published on Apr 12, 2026

#IPL #clinical #home #Williamson #LSGs #sevenwicket #loss">IPL 2026: Be more clinical at home, says Williamson after LSG’s seven-wicket loss