Sunday was a horror day for India as they clashed with China in other sports. At the Asian Badminton Championships, Ayush Shetty lost to world number two Shi Yu Qi in straight games. China’s dominance over India continued in the candidate chess tournament.
Vaishali Rameshbabu, the sole leader in the women’s Candidates section, lost to Zhu Jiner and gave up her golden chance. Divya Deshmukh, another Indian in contention, lost to Tan Zhongyi as she slipped to the bottom of the table.
Vaishali’s loss will hurt many Indian chess fans. With Praggnanandha’s chances officially over and Javokhir Sindarov just a draw away from the Candidates’ title, India’s hopes of good news from Cyprus are increasingly fading.
The equation was simple for Vaishali. Play a solid game and hold on to the lead. She is now in a four-way battle with not only Zhu Jiner, but also Anna Muzychuk and Bibisara Assaubayeva for the right to face Ju Wenjun at the World Chess Championship.
In many ways, the women’s section of the Candidates put on a humdinger in 2026. Whoever wins this title will face one of the toughest tests of their career.
WHAT WAS WRONG WITH VAISHALI?
Before the start of round 12, Vaishali had lost only one game in the entire tournament, and that was against Zhu Jiner. Against the Chinese opponents, she struggled with their discipline and patience.
In turn 5 against Zhu, Vaishali tried to counter the Italian Opening, but inaccuracies in pushing the f5 pawn and the Nc5 move allowed Zhu to take control of the middle game and open the center.
In the 12th round, she faced the defense of Caro-Kann. It is a complex structure for White, with Black focusing on maintaining a solid pawn structure along the c- and d-files.
While trying to stay aggressive, Vaishali needed to be precise. A mistake on c5 cost her the advantage. Things got worse when she misplaced her rook on f1 and followed up with dubious moves like Bd4 and Qh8 that eventually left her in a position she couldn’t recover from.
Trying to keep her position, the pressure said, and Zhu completed the double over her in the candidates.
VAISHALI’S GOLDEN CHANCE GONE?
With Bibisara Assaubayeva beating Kateryna Lagno, she is now only half a point behind Zhu and Vaishali.
Vaishali also benefited from Alexandra Goryachkina holding Anna Muzychuk to a draw. If Muzychuk had converted her endgame with rook and king, she would have been tied with Vaishali and Zhu on seven points.
The Ukrainian had a strong advantage throughout the match. Despite being two pawns down, Goryachkina was unable to convert due to structural limitations. On move 65, the decision to give control to Ra2 allowed the advantage to slip, leaving her half a point behind the leaders.
Vaishali will face Tan Zhongyi and Kateryna Lagno in the final two rounds. She has a decent record against both, but Zhu faces a tricky last-round encounter against Muzychuk.
The equation is simple for Vaishali. They need to win both games and hope Zhu falls on points. If she draws both, she will need Zhu to drop points as well and hope that Muzychuk and Bibisara don’t overtake her.
The edges are razor thin. One slide could decide the title and a place in the World Cup.
In the case of India, the stakes are even higher. What once looked like a promising campaign for the Candidates is now on the verge of slipping away.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
13 Apr 2026 14:19 IST
