Welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of the fourteenth round of the FIDE Candidates 2026 tournament happening in Cyprus on Wednesday.
R Praggnanandhaa (White) vs Hikaru Nakamura (Black)
R Vaishali (White) vs Lagno Kateryna (Black)
Divya Deshmukh (White) vs Bibisara Assaubayeva (Black)
April 15, 2026 17:59
Does Zhu Jiner have a chance
Anna Muzychuk, who entered the tournament as a replacement for Koneru Humpy, will take on Zhu Jiner, who is in title contention.
April 15, 2026 17:51
Will Sindarov’s help propel Bibisara to the World Title
April 15, 2026 17:48
Vishy Anand’s pick
In a video posted by FIDE, five-time World Champion, GM Viswanathan Anand was seen picking D Gukesh over Javokhir Sindarov for the World Chess Championship title.
April 15, 2026 17:46
FIDE Grand Swiss 2027 will take place in Isle of Man
April 15, 2026 17:44
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya takes on Bibisara and aims for a victory to end her campaign on a good note, and her win could also help Vaishali win the title today.
April 15, 2026 17:41
Read how Vaishali can win the title today
R Vaishali in FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026: Full title scenarios explained ahead of final round
Grandmaster R Vaishali is within reach of becoming the first Indian to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates title, heading into the final round on Wednesday.
April 15, 2026 17:35
Tiebreaks if needed tomorrow
If both Vaishali and Assaubayeva win their respective matches, they will head to a playoff tiebreaker on Thursday. Click here to read more
April 15, 2026 17:34
Big day for R Vaishali
If Vaishali beats Lagno Kateryna and Bibisara Assaubayeva draws or loses, Vaishali wins the tournament and will become the first Indian to win the women’s section.
April 15, 2026 17:32
Women’s section pairings for today
Anna Muzychuk — Zhu Jiner Aleksandra Goryachkina — Tan Zhongyi Vaishali Rameshbabu — Kateryna Lagno Divya Deshmukh — Bibisara Assaubayeva
April 15, 2026 17:32
Open section pairings for today
Andrey Esipenko — Fabiano Caruana Praggnanandhaa R — Hikaru Nakamura Matthias Bluebaum — Anish Giri Javokhir Sindarov — Wei Yi
April 15, 2026 17:31
It is the final round!
Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of Round 14 of FIDE Candidates 2026.
FIDE Candidates 2026: Check out all Live updates from Round 14 of the Candidates tournament happening in Cyprus on Wednesday.
Updated : Apr 15, 2026 17:59 IST
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Welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of the fourteenth round of the FIDE Candidates 2026 tournament happening in Cyprus on Wednesday.
R Praggnanandhaa (White) vs Hikaru Nakamura (Black)
R Vaishali (White) vs Lagno Kateryna (Black)
Divya Deshmukh (White) vs Bibisara Assaubayeva (Black)
April 15, 2026 17:59
Does Zhu Jiner have a chance
Anna Muzychuk, who entered the tournament as a replacement for Koneru Humpy, will take on Zhu Jiner, who is in title contention.
April 15, 2026 17:51
Will Sindarov’s help propel Bibisara to the World Title
April 15, 2026 17:48
Vishy Anand’s pick
In a video posted by FIDE, five-time World Champion, GM Viswanathan Anand was seen picking D Gukesh over Javokhir Sindarov for the World Chess Championship title.
April 15, 2026 17:46
FIDE Grand Swiss 2027 will take place in Isle of Man
April 15, 2026 17:44
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya takes on Bibisara and aims for a victory to end her campaign on a good note, and her win could also help Vaishali win the title today.
April 15, 2026 17:41
Read how Vaishali can win the title today
R Vaishali in FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026: Full title scenarios explained ahead of final round
Grandmaster R Vaishali is within reach of becoming the first Indian to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates title, heading into the final round on Wednesday.
April 15, 2026 17:35
Tiebreaks if needed tomorrow
If both Vaishali and Assaubayeva win their respective matches, they will head to a playoff tiebreaker on Thursday. Click here to read more
April 15, 2026 17:34
Big day for R Vaishali
If Vaishali beats Lagno Kateryna and Bibisara Assaubayeva draws or loses, Vaishali wins the tournament and will become the first Indian to win the women’s section.
April 15, 2026 17:32
Women’s section pairings for today
Anna Muzychuk — Zhu Jiner Aleksandra Goryachkina — Tan Zhongyi Vaishali Rameshbabu — Kateryna Lagno Divya Deshmukh — Bibisara Assaubayeva
April 15, 2026 17:32
Open section pairings for today
Andrey Esipenko — Fabiano Caruana Praggnanandhaa R — Hikaru Nakamura Matthias Bluebaum — Anish Giri Javokhir Sindarov — Wei Yi
April 15, 2026 17:31
It is the final round!
Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of Round 14 of FIDE Candidates 2026.
PSG doubled its aggregate cushion in just the third minute when Dembele fired Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s cut-back into the roof of the net.
Manuel Neuer produced excellent saves in the second half to deny Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue and keep Bayern alive in the tie.
Kane eventually found the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time, drilling home his 14th goal of the competition this season, but it proved too little, too late for the home side.
PSG doubled its aggregate cushion in just the third minute when Dembele fired Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s cut-back into the roof of the net.
Manuel Neuer produced excellent saves in the second half to deny Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue and keep Bayern alive in the tie.
Kane eventually found the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time, drilling home his 14th goal of the competition this season, but it proved too little, too late for the home side.
Published on May 07, 2026
#PSG #knock #Bayern #set #Champions #League #final #Arsenal">PSG knock out Bayern to set up Champions League final with Arsenal
Holder Paris Saint-Germain booked its place in the UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal after a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich in the second leg of the semifinal at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday secured a 6-5 aggregate victory.
Leading 5-4 from last week’s thrilling first leg in Paris, Luis Enrique’s side extended its aggregate advantage early through Ousmane Dembele.
Harry Kane scored in added time for Bayern Munich, but the German side could not find the goal required to force extra time.
PSG will head into the final against Premier League leader Arsenal in Budapest on May 30 after another composed European display. The Allianz Arena also hosted PSG’s maiden Champions League triumph over Inter Milan last year.
The French champion is aiming to become only the second side since 1990 to retain the Champions League title, after Real Madrid.
Bayern Munich was left frustrated by a number of first-half refereeing decisions but struggled to create clear-cut chances for large parts of the contest.
The six-time European champion has now failed to reach the final since beating PSG in the 2020 showpiece in Lisbon.
PSG doubled its aggregate cushion in just the third minute when Dembele fired Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s cut-back into the roof of the net.
Manuel Neuer produced excellent saves in the second half to deny Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue and keep Bayern alive in the tie.
Kane eventually found the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time, drilling home his 14th goal of the competition this season, but it proved too little, too late for the home side.
Stevens was NBA Executive of the Year this year for a reason. He did the seemingly impossible (or so Golden State tells us) … He got rid of a bunch of overpaid veterans, remained competitive even without Jayson Tatum for the most part, and restructured a roster that should be able to compete for Eastern titles for most of the next decade.
Fire him? I say: Reward him.
Fire Joe Mazzulla.
He did such a great job during the regular season, he set himself up for a hard fall in the playoffs. And even at that, you have to wonder what might have happened had Tatum not contracted a case of Embiid-itis.
Did he mismanage the Philadelphia series? Sure. The Pistons would have fired their coach if he’d done that. Maybe even the Knicks and Cavaliers. But they haven’t won a title, made the Finals twice and been a perennial contender for the better part of a decade.
Based on the improbable regular season alone, Mazz deserves the benefit of the doubt. But don’t let it happen again.
Trade Derrick White.
On the surface, this one makes sense. As the 76ers series demonstrated, the Celtics could use a Robert Williams III type more than a White type. But that’s what Stevens, in a rare blunder, thought when he exchanged Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic.
Look at the Eastern Conference. When Joel Embiid isn’t playing – which is most of the time – the top players are almost all guards: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Tyrese Haliburton … You need somebody to slow them down.
Yeah, the Celtics could move Jaylen Brown fulltime to the backcourt, but that likely would force Tatum to actually have to guard somebody. Giving Brown the tough frontcourt assignments allows Tatum to freelance, grab cheap rebounds and stay fresh for his late barrage of missed 3-pointers. Wait, that was supposed to be a positive.
Trading White maybe gets you Wendell Carter Jr., but does that make you better? I say: Just bigger.
Trade Jaylen Brown.
May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) talks with Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7)after Philadephia’s win in game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Let’s be honest: Breaking up the Brown/Tatum tandem would take a lot of guts. But after watching the Celtics play without Tatum for two-thirds of last season, it’s at least worth considering.
So which one gets shopped? That depends what type of team you want.
We’ve seen what the Celtics look like without Tatum – energetic, defensive-minded and all-inclusive on offense. And that’s without whatever high-level player or players you would get by trading Tatum.
You turn Brown into, say, Naz Reid and Terrence Shannon Jr., and you improve defensively on the interior and offensively on the perimeter. But you lose what made the Celtics so fun to watch this season – the team’s best defender and emotional leader.
I’d keep Brown.
Trade Jayson Tatum.
It might take just one call to turn the Celtics into the Eastern frontrunner again …
Bucks GM Jon Horst: Let me get back to you on that.
If the response is anything you can count on one hand, the Celtics’ off-season is complete.
Tatum has done a lot of good things for this team, but he’s not in Giannis’ league. Few players are.
The Celtics would get their interior force, a runner who would allow the team to pick up the pace and another elite shot-blocker who would make Boston the most well-rounded defensive force in the league, with White shadowing star little guys, Brown locked onto mid-sized scorers and Giannis pitching a tent in the middle.
Stop dreaming? OK, then I’d settle for Domantas Sabonis and De’Andre Hunter.
Stand pat.
Stevens earned a nice, long vacation. Maybe he should take one.
No phones. See you in October with the same pieces that made the Celtics the favorite in the Eastern playoffs. Even with Tatum at less than 100 percent.
After all, it ain’t broke.
Unless, of course: Brad, this is Horstie getting back to you …
Stevens was NBA Executive of the Year this year for a reason. He did the seemingly impossible (or so Golden State tells us) … He got rid of a bunch of overpaid veterans, remained competitive even without Jayson Tatum for the most part, and restructured a roster that should be able to compete for Eastern titles for most of the next decade.
Fire him? I say: Reward him.
Fire Joe Mazzulla.
He did such a great job during the regular season, he set himself up for a hard fall in the playoffs. And even at that, you have to wonder what might have happened had Tatum not contracted a case of Embiid-itis.
Did he mismanage the Philadelphia series? Sure. The Pistons would have fired their coach if he’d done that. Maybe even the Knicks and Cavaliers. But they haven’t won a title, made the Finals twice and been a perennial contender for the better part of a decade.
Based on the improbable regular season alone, Mazz deserves the benefit of the doubt. But don’t let it happen again.
Trade Derrick White.
On the surface, this one makes sense. As the 76ers series demonstrated, the Celtics could use a Robert Williams III type more than a White type. But that’s what Stevens, in a rare blunder, thought when he exchanged Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic.
Look at the Eastern Conference. When Joel Embiid isn’t playing – which is most of the time – the top players are almost all guards: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Tyrese Haliburton … You need somebody to slow them down.
Yeah, the Celtics could move Jaylen Brown fulltime to the backcourt, but that likely would force Tatum to actually have to guard somebody. Giving Brown the tough frontcourt assignments allows Tatum to freelance, grab cheap rebounds and stay fresh for his late barrage of missed 3-pointers. Wait, that was supposed to be a positive.
Trading White maybe gets you Wendell Carter Jr., but does that make you better? I say: Just bigger.
Trade Jaylen Brown.
May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) talks with Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7)after Philadephia’s win in game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Let’s be honest: Breaking up the Brown/Tatum tandem would take a lot of guts. But after watching the Celtics play without Tatum for two-thirds of last season, it’s at least worth considering.
So which one gets shopped? That depends what type of team you want.
We’ve seen what the Celtics look like without Tatum – energetic, defensive-minded and all-inclusive on offense. And that’s without whatever high-level player or players you would get by trading Tatum.
You turn Brown into, say, Naz Reid and Terrence Shannon Jr., and you improve defensively on the interior and offensively on the perimeter. But you lose what made the Celtics so fun to watch this season – the team’s best defender and emotional leader.
I’d keep Brown.
Trade Jayson Tatum.
It might take just one call to turn the Celtics into the Eastern frontrunner again …
Bucks GM Jon Horst: Let me get back to you on that.
If the response is anything you can count on one hand, the Celtics’ off-season is complete.
Tatum has done a lot of good things for this team, but he’s not in Giannis’ league. Few players are.
The Celtics would get their interior force, a runner who would allow the team to pick up the pace and another elite shot-blocker who would make Boston the most well-rounded defensive force in the league, with White shadowing star little guys, Brown locked onto mid-sized scorers and Giannis pitching a tent in the middle.
Stop dreaming? OK, then I’d settle for Domantas Sabonis and De’Andre Hunter.
Stand pat.
Stevens earned a nice, long vacation. Maybe he should take one.
No phones. See you in October with the same pieces that made the Celtics the favorite in the Eastern playoffs. Even with Tatum at less than 100 percent.
After all, it ain’t broke.
Unless, of course: Brad, this is Horstie getting back to you …
#Celtics #Blow #Analyzing #Major #Option #Deadspin.com">Should the Celtics Blow It Up? Analyzing Every Major Option | Deadspin.com
Feb 28, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens before their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Everyone seems to have an opinion on how to “fix” the Celtics.
You’ll probably not be surprised to hear I have a few myself. OK, more than just a few.
Raising a 7-foot bar on a bunch of wishful thinking among Celtics fans and senseless knee-jerk reactions among the unfaithful, here’s where I stand on some of the more popular suggestions:
Fire Brad Stevens.
Let’s get the most ridiculous one out of the way.
Stevens was NBA Executive of the Year this year for a reason. He did the seemingly impossible (or so Golden State tells us) … He got rid of a bunch of overpaid veterans, remained competitive even without Jayson Tatum for the most part, and restructured a roster that should be able to compete for Eastern titles for most of the next decade.
Fire him? I say: Reward him.
Fire Joe Mazzulla.
He did such a great job during the regular season, he set himself up for a hard fall in the playoffs. And even at that, you have to wonder what might have happened had Tatum not contracted a case of Embiid-itis.
Did he mismanage the Philadelphia series? Sure. The Pistons would have fired their coach if he’d done that. Maybe even the Knicks and Cavaliers. But they haven’t won a title, made the Finals twice and been a perennial contender for the better part of a decade.
Based on the improbable regular season alone, Mazz deserves the benefit of the doubt. But don’t let it happen again.
Trade Derrick White.
On the surface, this one makes sense. As the 76ers series demonstrated, the Celtics could use a Robert Williams III type more than a White type. But that’s what Stevens, in a rare blunder, thought when he exchanged Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic.
Look at the Eastern Conference. When Joel Embiid isn’t playing – which is most of the time – the top players are almost all guards: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Tyrese Haliburton … You need somebody to slow them down.
Yeah, the Celtics could move Jaylen Brown fulltime to the backcourt, but that likely would force Tatum to actually have to guard somebody. Giving Brown the tough frontcourt assignments allows Tatum to freelance, grab cheap rebounds and stay fresh for his late barrage of missed 3-pointers. Wait, that was supposed to be a positive.
Trading White maybe gets you Wendell Carter Jr., but does that make you better? I say: Just bigger.
Trade Jaylen Brown.
May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) talks with Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7)after Philadephia’s win in game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Let’s be honest: Breaking up the Brown/Tatum tandem would take a lot of guts. But after watching the Celtics play without Tatum for two-thirds of last season, it’s at least worth considering.
So which one gets shopped? That depends what type of team you want.
We’ve seen what the Celtics look like without Tatum – energetic, defensive-minded and all-inclusive on offense. And that’s without whatever high-level player or players you would get by trading Tatum.
You turn Brown into, say, Naz Reid and Terrence Shannon Jr., and you improve defensively on the interior and offensively on the perimeter. But you lose what made the Celtics so fun to watch this season – the team’s best defender and emotional leader.
I’d keep Brown.
Trade Jayson Tatum.
It might take just one call to turn the Celtics into the Eastern frontrunner again …
Bucks GM Jon Horst: Let me get back to you on that.
If the response is anything you can count on one hand, the Celtics’ off-season is complete.
Tatum has done a lot of good things for this team, but he’s not in Giannis’ league. Few players are.
The Celtics would get their interior force, a runner who would allow the team to pick up the pace and another elite shot-blocker who would make Boston the most well-rounded defensive force in the league, with White shadowing star little guys, Brown locked onto mid-sized scorers and Giannis pitching a tent in the middle.
Stop dreaming? OK, then I’d settle for Domantas Sabonis and De’Andre Hunter.
Stand pat.
Stevens earned a nice, long vacation. Maybe he should take one.
No phones. See you in October with the same pieces that made the Celtics the favorite in the Eastern playoffs. Even with Tatum at less than 100 percent.
After all, it ain’t broke.
Unless, of course: Brad, this is Horstie getting back to you …
McKenna was viewed as the grand prize for much of the 2025-26 season. The rangy left wing already has good height, great playmaking, and a knack for driving the pace from the wing — making him a low-risk top overall pick. At times he’s been compared to Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, though personally, I don’t think he has quite the same ceiling as either phenom. Still, he’s a franchise cornerstone player, and it will be interesting to see whether a team chooses to keep him at his natural LW, or tries to convert him into a center.
The choice at No. 1 will be between McKenna and Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg, who has been racing up the boards as scouts take a deeper look into his run in the SHL. It’s unusual for a true 18-year-old to have any modicum of success in a pro league, but Stenberg more than held his own with his hockey IQ, and a shot volume that routinely made him one of the biggest threats on the ice for Frölunda HC. That pro-readiness is appealing for a team looking for an immediate impact, and his polish could cause him to be the top overall pick.
We’ll take a deeper dive into this year’s class as the draft approaches, but for now here’s a rapid-fire mock draft involving the teams in the lottery for the 2026 NHL Draft.
As a reminder, these were the lottery odds for winning the first draw entering Tuesday night.
Vancouver Canucks — 18.5% Chicago Blackhawks — 13.5% New York Rangers — 11.5% Calgary Flames — 9.5% Toronto Maple Leafs (Top 5 protected to Bruins) — 8.5% Seattle Kraken — 7.5% Winnipeg Jets — 6.5% Florida Panthers — 6.0% San Jose Sharks — 5.0% Nashville Predators — 3.5% St. Louis Blues — 3.0% New Jersey Devils — 2.5% New York Islanders — 2.0% Columbus Blue Jackets — 1.5% St. Louis Blues (from Red Wings) — 0.5% Washington Capitals — 0.5%
McKenna was viewed as the grand prize for much of the 2025-26 season. The rangy left wing already has good height, great playmaking, and a knack for driving the pace from the wing — making him a low-risk top overall pick. At times he’s been compared to Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, though personally, I don’t think he has quite the same ceiling as either phenom. Still, he’s a franchise cornerstone player, and it will be interesting to see whether a team chooses to keep him at his natural LW, or tries to convert him into a center.
The choice at No. 1 will be between McKenna and Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg, who has been racing up the boards as scouts take a deeper look into his run in the SHL. It’s unusual for a true 18-year-old to have any modicum of success in a pro league, but Stenberg more than held his own with his hockey IQ, and a shot volume that routinely made him one of the biggest threats on the ice for Frölunda HC. That pro-readiness is appealing for a team looking for an immediate impact, and his polish could cause him to be the top overall pick.
We’ll take a deeper dive into this year’s class as the draft approaches, but for now here’s a rapid-fire mock draft involving the teams in the lottery for the 2026 NHL Draft.
As a reminder, these were the lottery odds for winning the first draw entering Tuesday night.
Vancouver Canucks — 18.5% Chicago Blackhawks — 13.5% New York Rangers — 11.5% Calgary Flames — 9.5% Toronto Maple Leafs (Top 5 protected to Bruins) — 8.5% Seattle Kraken — 7.5% Winnipeg Jets — 6.5% Florida Panthers — 6.0% San Jose Sharks — 5.0% Nashville Predators — 3.5% St. Louis Blues — 3.0% New Jersey Devils — 2.5% New York Islanders — 2.0% Columbus Blue Jackets — 1.5% St. Louis Blues (from Red Wings) — 0.5% Washington Capitals — 0.5%
#NHL #mock #draft #Instant #projection #Maple #Leafs #win #lottery">NHL mock draft 2026: Instant projection after Maple Leafs win lottery
The Stanley Cup Playoffs roll on, but on Tuesday night the league conducted the 2026 NHL Draft lottery with the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the No. 1 pick, and the right to draft either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg in a class with more parity at the top than originally expected.
McKenna was viewed as the grand prize for much of the 2025-26 season. The rangy left wing already has good height, great playmaking, and a knack for driving the pace from the wing — making him a low-risk top overall pick. At times he’s been compared to Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, though personally, I don’t think he has quite the same ceiling as either phenom. Still, he’s a franchise cornerstone player, and it will be interesting to see whether a team chooses to keep him at his natural LW, or tries to convert him into a center.
The choice at No. 1 will be between McKenna and Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg, who has been racing up the boards as scouts take a deeper look into his run in the SHL. It’s unusual for a true 18-year-old to have any modicum of success in a pro league, but Stenberg more than held his own with his hockey IQ, and a shot volume that routinely made him one of the biggest threats on the ice for Frölunda HC. That pro-readiness is appealing for a team looking for an immediate impact, and his polish could cause him to be the top overall pick.
We’ll take a deeper dive into this year’s class as the draft approaches, but for now here’s a rapid-fire mock draft involving the teams in the lottery for the 2026 NHL Draft.
As a reminder, these were the lottery odds for winning the first draw entering Tuesday night.
Vancouver Canucks — 18.5% Chicago Blackhawks — 13.5% New York Rangers — 11.5% Calgary Flames — 9.5% Toronto Maple Leafs (Top 5 protected to Bruins) — 8.5% Seattle Kraken — 7.5% Winnipeg Jets — 6.5% Florida Panthers — 6.0% San Jose Sharks — 5.0% Nashville Predators — 3.5% St. Louis Blues — 3.0% New Jersey Devils — 2.5% New York Islanders — 2.0% Columbus Blue Jackets — 1.5% St. Louis Blues (from Red Wings) — 0.5% Washington Capitals — 0.5%
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