FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, Round 10: Sindarov punishes Praggnanandhaa’s slip to stay clear at the top; Vaishali draws with Muzychuk Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov returned to winning ways, completing a double over R. Praggnanandhaa to extend his sole lead in the Open section of the ongoing FIDE Candidates 2026 in Cyprus on Thursday.
Anish Giri’s draw against Hikaru Nakamura helped Sindarov open up a two-point gap heading into the rest day on Friday.
Praggnanandhaa started well, but a decisive error on move 22, when he played Bd7, proved costly. Instead of consolidating, the move allowed Sindarov to intensify pressure on the king and along the f-file.
Sindarov capitalised immediately with 23. Rf7, a knockout blow that forced matters. He followed it up with a temporary exchange sacrifice to drag the Black king into the open.
With 25. Qf4+ Kg7 and 28. Qxd7, Sindarov seized complete control, maintaining the initiative with a series of checks. He later activated his rooks, leaving Praggnanandhaa neutralised and without counterplay.
ALSO READ: Check out updates from Round 10 of the ongoing FIDE Candidates 2026
Sindarov maintained his grip on the position as Praggnanandhaa resigned in a lost position.
In the women’s section, R. Vaishali absorbed Anna Muzychuk’s kingside push with timely exchanges and central breaks, simplifying into a balanced endgame to secure a draw.
In the middlegame, Vaishali centralised her bishop and opened the kingside on her terms rather than defending passively.
Between 37. f5+ Kf7 and 38. Kf4 d5, she neutralised White’s pawn breaks while keeping her king safe.
Towards the end, the position was fully equalised, and any attempt to push would have risked overextension, as the game ended in a draw.
Published on Apr 09, 2026
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Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov returned to winning ways, completing a double over R. Praggnanandhaa to extend his sole lead in the Open section of the ongoing FIDE Candidates 2026 in Cyprus on Thursday.
Anish Giri’s draw against Hikaru Nakamura helped Sindarov open up a two-point gap heading into the rest day on Friday.
Praggnanandhaa started well, but a decisive error on move 22, when he played Bd7, proved costly. Instead of consolidating, the move allowed Sindarov to intensify pressure on the king and along the f-file.
Sindarov capitalised immediately with 23. Rf7, a knockout blow that forced matters. He followed it up with a temporary exchange sacrifice to drag the Black king into the open.
With 25. Qf4+ Kg7 and 28. Qxd7, Sindarov seized complete control, maintaining the initiative with a series of checks. He later activated his rooks, leaving Praggnanandhaa neutralised and without counterplay.
ALSO READ: Check out updates from Round 10 of the ongoing FIDE Candidates 2026
Sindarov maintained his grip on the position as Praggnanandhaa resigned in a lost position.
In the women’s section, R. Vaishali absorbed Anna Muzychuk’s kingside push with timely exchanges and central breaks, simplifying into a balanced endgame to secure a draw.
In the middlegame, Vaishali centralised her bishop and opened the kingside on her terms rather than defending passively.
Between 37. f5+ Kf7 and 38. Kf4 d5, she neutralised White’s pawn breaks while keeping her king safe.
Towards the end, the position was fully equalised, and any attempt to push would have risked overextension, as the game ended in a draw.
Published on Apr 09, 2026
![Miami Grand Prix: Forecasted weather forces earlier start Weather forecasts have forced an earlier start to Sunday’s Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.All week long, the incoming weather for Sunday was a major focus of discussion. With forecasts calling for thunderstorms and heavy rain late on Sunday afternoon, coinciding with the scheduled start time for the Miami Grand Prix, F1 officials and even the drivers themselves wondering if the schedule would be altered.This evening, that decision was made by race officials.In a statement released Saturday night, following the qualifying session, the start time for the Miami Grand Prix was pushed up three hours, to 1:00 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. The statement cites the forecasts of “heavier rainstorms” close to the original start time, and notes that the decision was made to “ensure the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in the best conditions and to [prioritize] the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff:”Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, the current Drivers’ Championship leader, secured pole position for Sunday’s race. Four-time Drivers’ Champion Max Verstappen will start alongside him on the front row. #Miami #Grand #Prix #Forecasted #weather #forces #earlier #start](https://i2.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/gettyimages-2274207014.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.738219895288%2C100%2C78.523560209424&w=1200&ssl=1 "Miami Grand Prix: Forecasted weather forces earlier start Weather forecasts have forced an earlier start to Sunday’s Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.All week long, the incoming weather for Sunday was a major focus of discussion. With forecasts calling for thunderstorms and heavy rain late on Sunday afternoon, coinciding with the scheduled start time for the Miami Grand Prix, F1 officials and even the drivers themselves wondering if the schedule would be altered.This evening, that decision was made by race officials.In a statement released Saturday night, following the qualifying session, the start time for the Miami Grand Prix was pushed up three hours, to 1:00 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. The statement cites the forecasts of “heavier rainstorms” close to the original start time, and notes that the decision was made to “ensure the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in the best conditions and to [prioritize] the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff:”Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, the current Drivers’ Championship leader, secured pole position for Sunday’s race. Four-time Drivers’ Champion Max Verstappen will start alongside him on the front row. #Miami #Grand #Prix #Forecasted #weather #forces #earlier #start")
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