April 07, 2026 17:44
Pragg vs Anish Giri
Anish Giri will play with the white pieces, while Praggnanandhaa will play with Black tonight in Round 8.
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#FIDE #Chess #Candidates #Sindarov #draws #Wei #clinch #title #Vaishali #holds #nerve #win #womens #section">FIDE Chess Candidates 2026: Sindarov draws with Wei Yi to clinch title; Vaishali holds nerve to win women’s section After 14 rounds of intense chess, Javokhir Sindarov finished the tournament with 10 points, having already clinched the title to earn the right to challenge D. Gukesh for the FIDE World Championship.
Sindarov secured six wins during the tournament, including victories over R. Praggnanandhaa in Rounds 3 and 10, Hikaru Nakamura in Round 5, and Fabiano Caruana in Round 4.
Anish Giri finished second with 8.5 points, with wins over Fabiano Caruana and R. Praggnanandhaa.
ALSO READ: R Vaishali becomes first Indian to win FIDE Women’s Candidates
Fabiano Caruana took third place with 7.5 points, while China’s Wei Yi finished fourth with seven points.
India’s R. Praggnanandhaa finished seventh with six points from 14 rounds.
Despite a valiant effort, Vaishali’s win pushed Bibisara Assaubayeva to second place with eight points, followed by Zhu Jiner with seven.
Anna Muzychuk finished fourth with 6.5 points, while India’s Divya Deshmukh ended seventh with 5.5 points. Her draw against Bibisara in Round 14 also played a crucial role in Vaishali securing the title.
Published on Apr 15, 2026
After 14 rounds of intense chess, Javokhir Sindarov finished the tournament with 10 points, having…
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#FIDE #Candidates #Open #Section #Sindarov #seals #title #spare #extends #unbeaten #run #games">FIDE Candidates 2026 Open Section: Sindarov seals title with a round to spare; extends unbeaten run to 50 games
Javokhir Sindarov’s dream run at the FIDE Candidates 2026 was sealed with a draw against Anish Giri in Round 13, securing him a shot at the FIDE World Championship against D. Gukesh later this year.
Sindarov remains unbeaten in the tournament and clinched the Candidates title with a round to spare.
Heading into Tuesday’s Round 13, Sindarov held a two-point lead. Giri needed a win to cut the deficit to one and take the contest into the final day, but the draw ensured Sindarov wrapped up the title.
Giri opened with 1. e4, and Sindarov responded with a rock-solid set-up. By move 15, several pieces had been exchanged, leading to a queenless middlegame, a scenario that suited Sindarov as he looked to minimise risk.
ALSO READ: Javokhir Sindarov — the Uzbek jewel taking FIDE Chess Candidates 2026 by storm
Giri attempted to build pressure along the d-file, but Sindarov defended resolutely with Be6 and Re6, neutralising White’s efforts.
The game later transitioned into a rook and bishop endgame, where neither side could find a breakthrough, before the players repeated moves to agree to a draw by threefold repetition.
Other results in the Open section saw Hikaru Nakamura pick up another draw against Matthias Bluebaum, Wei Yi defeat Andrey Esipenko, and R. Praggnanandhaa draw against Fabiano Caruana.
Published on Apr 14, 2026
Javokhir Sindarov’s dream run at the FIDE Candidates 2026 was sealed with a draw against Anish Giri in Round 13, securing him a shot at the FIDE World Championship against D. Gukesh later this year.
Sindarov remains unbeaten in the tournament and clinched the Candidates title with a round to spare.
Heading into Tuesday’s Round 13, Sindarov held a two-point lead. Giri needed a win to cut the deficit to one and take the contest into the final day, but the draw ensured Sindarov wrapped up the title.
Giri opened with 1. e4, and Sindarov responded with a rock-solid set-up. By move 15, several pieces had been exchanged, leading to a queenless middlegame, a scenario that suited Sindarov as he looked to minimise risk.
ALSO READ: Javokhir Sindarov — the Uzbek jewel taking FIDE Chess Candidates 2026 by storm
Giri attempted to build pressure along the d-file, but Sindarov defended resolutely with Be6 and Re6, neutralising White’s efforts.
The game later transitioned into a rook and bishop endgame, where neither side could find a breakthrough, before the players repeated moves to agree to a draw by threefold repetition.
Other results in the Open section saw Hikaru Nakamura pick up another draw against Matthias Bluebaum, Wei Yi defeat Andrey Esipenko, and R. Praggnanandhaa draw against Fabiano Caruana.
Published on Apr 14, 2026
Javokhir Sindarov’s dream run at the FIDE Candidates 2026 was sealed with a draw against…
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#FIDE #Candidates #Open #Section #Sindarov #plays #quick #draw #Nakamura #extend #lead #standings">FIDE Candidates 2026 Open Section: Sindarov plays a quick draw with Nakamura to extend lead in standings
It was in stark contrast to his fifth-round outing, when Hikaru Nakamura (5.5) took over an hour for a single move, as his Round 12 clash against Open section leader Javokhir Sindarov (9) ended in a draw in under 45 minutes on Sunday. Anish Giri (7) was also held by Wei Yi (5.5), allowing Sindarov to head into the rest day on Monday with a two-point lead.
Sindarov opened with 1. d4, and the game soon transitioned into a Catalan-style setup with g3 and Bg2. Nakamura chose a solid theoretical line, conceding central space but gaining the bishop pair.
Between moves nine and 26, the players exchanged queens and most of the minor pieces. By move 26 (Rd1 Rxd1), the position had been stripped of its major attacking potential. Sindarov held a slightly better king position, but Nakamura’s bishops provided sufficient compensation.
With little scope for progress, both players shuffled their pieces before agreeing to a draw.
On the other board, GM Anish saw a golden opportunity to climb the standings slip through his fingers. Dominating much of the mid-game, Giri steered the match into a highly favourable endgame where a full point seemed inevitable. His strategic pressure forced Wei Yi into a desperate defensive shell.
ALSO READ: Check out what happened in Round 12 as it happened in the live blog
However, the tide turned during the frantic final scramble. Under severe time pressure, Giri fumbled his advantage by failing to find the clinical killing blow.
Instead of tightening the noose, a series of repetitive checks allowed Wei Yi to escape. By move 77, with neither side able to break the deadlock, Giri was forced to settle for a frustrating draw via threefold repetition.
Other results saw India’s R. Praggnanandhaa draw against Andrey Esipenko, while Matthias Bluebaum held Fabiano Caruana to a draw.
Published on Apr 12, 2026
It was in stark contrast to his fifth-round outing, when Hikaru Nakamura (5.5) took over an hour for a single move, as his Round 12 clash against Open section leader Javokhir Sindarov (9) ended in a draw in under 45 minutes on Sunday. Anish Giri (7) was also held by Wei Yi (5.5), allowing Sindarov to head into the rest day on Monday with a two-point lead.
Sindarov opened with 1. d4, and the game soon transitioned into a Catalan-style setup with g3 and Bg2. Nakamura chose a solid theoretical line, conceding central space but gaining the bishop pair.
Between moves nine and 26, the players exchanged queens and most of the minor pieces. By move 26 (Rd1 Rxd1), the position had been stripped of its major attacking potential. Sindarov held a slightly better king position, but Nakamura’s bishops provided sufficient compensation.
With little scope for progress, both players shuffled their pieces before agreeing to a draw.
On the other board, GM Anish saw a golden opportunity to climb the standings slip through his fingers. Dominating much of the mid-game, Giri steered the match into a highly favourable endgame where a full point seemed inevitable. His strategic pressure forced Wei Yi into a desperate defensive shell.
ALSO READ: Check out what happened in Round 12 as it happened in the live blog
However, the tide turned during the frantic final scramble. Under severe time pressure, Giri fumbled his advantage by failing to find the clinical killing blow.
Instead of tightening the noose, a series of repetitive checks allowed Wei Yi to escape. By move 77, with neither side able to break the deadlock, Giri was forced to settle for a frustrating draw via threefold repetition.
Other results saw India’s R. Praggnanandhaa draw against Andrey Esipenko, while Matthias Bluebaum held Fabiano Caruana to a draw.
Published on Apr 12, 2026
It was in stark contrast to his fifth-round outing, when Hikaru Nakamura (5.5) took over…
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