R Vaishali (photo by Niki Riga)
NEW DELHI: The round-robin format like Candidates has always had its fair share of surprises for every player and India’s Vaishali Rameshbabu was caught cold at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Cyprus on Sunday evening.Just twenty-four hours ago, we celebrated her tactical master class on Aleksandra Gorjachkina. It was indeed a win where her speed in trapping the Russian rook gave her a commanding one point lead.On Sunday, that lead vanished into thin air. China’s Zhu Jiner, playing the black pieces, produced a clinical performance to stun Vaishali. And with that, she secured a 2-0 sweep against the Chennai-born grandmaster in this tournament.
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Exclusive Nihal Sarin: 2026 Candidates Predictions, Anish Giri’s ‘Drawish’ Label & More #chess The loss sent the women’s section wide open and left the top of the table in the brutal heat.How Vaishali lost her way against Zhu JinerThe encounter began with Vaishali opting for the Caro-Kann Preliminary Defense (1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5). On move five (5. cxd3), Vaishali adopted a structurally compromised position with doubled pawns, a two-edged decision aimed at controlling the center.However, Jiner’s response was patient and surgical.Tensions escalated in the middle game as Vaishali struggled to find a concrete plan to break Black’s coordination. The Chinese grandmaster began to put pressure on the queen, and by move 24 the cracks in White’s position became craters. Jiner’s 24… Nb4 was a particularly stinging blow, forcing Vaishali into a defensive crouch.Desperate to complicate the situation, Vaishali tried a central break with 27.d5, but Jiner’s 27…Nxd5 only simplified the path to victory for black.The conclusion was a harrowing affair for the Indian fans. After exactly 30… Rg4, Jiner began the relentless march of her h-pawn.The game reached its final point when Jiner promoted the pawn to g1; after the exchange, the last move 39… Nc3 left Vaishali no choice but to resign as her position fell apart.With this defeat, Vaishali remains 12/7, but she is no longer alone at the top. Zhu Jiner has now joined her at the top with the same score, setting the stage for a podium finish in the final two rounds.It was a grim day for the Indian contingent. Divya Deshmukh, also playing with White, met a similar fate, losing to China’s Tan Zhongyi.Open Section: Sindarov closes in on the crownWhile the women’s section is defined by captivating intrigue, the open section is drawing to a close. Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov played to a close draw against Hikaru Nakamura.
Javakhir Sindarov (Image: X)
When chess returns to the shores of the Mediterranean at Candidates after Monday’s rest day, Sindarov will have to play a draw to officially be crowned challenger to D Gukesh later this year.Indian R Praggnanandhaa fought hard but could only draw against Andrey Espipenko.READ ALSO: Javokhir Sindarov, likely challenger to D Gukesh at World C’ship, cracks code for chess sponsorship woesAfter a rest day, the players will return for Round 13 on April 14. For Vaishali, the mission is Herculean. He needs to regroup and find form. The lead may have been lost, but the championship is still a big fight until the end.12th round of FIDE candidates Results – 12 April 2026Open Section (Round 12)Andrey Espenko 0.5-0.5 R PraggnanandhaaMatthias Blübaum 0.5-0.5 Fabiano CaruanaJavokhir Sindarov 0.5-0.5 Hikaru NakamuraWei Yi 0.5-0.5 Anish GiriWomen’s Section (Round 12)Anna Muzychuk 0.5-0.5 Aleksandra GoryachkinaVaishali Rameshbabu 0-1 Zhu JinerDivya Deshmukh 0-1 Tan ZhongyiBibisara Assaubayeva 1-0 Kateryna LagnoFIDE Candidate Pairs Round 13 – 14 April 2026Open Section (Round 13)Wei Yi vs Andrey EspipenkoAnish Giri vs Javokhir SindarovHikaru Nakamura vs Matthias BlübaumFabiano Caruana vs R PraggnanandhaaWomen’s Section (Round 13)Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Anna MuzychukKateryna Lagno vs Divya DeshmukhTan Zhongyi vs Vaishali RameshbabuZhu Jiner vs Aleksandra Goryachkina
