No handshake after Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk beats Russia’s Kateryna Lagno (Screengrab) NEW DELHI: The cold war on the chessboard reached a freezing point in Round 4 of the 2026 Women’s Candidates as Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk and Russia’s Kateryna Lagno bypassed the traditional courtesies of the game. There was no handshake at the start, no recognition at the end, and both players left in silence, a stark reflection of the geopolitical tensions that continue to cloud international chess.On the board, the contest was a high-stakes positional battle. Muzychuk secured a decisive victory when he went through tactical complications to dismantle the Lagno defense in just 31 moves.
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Exclusive Nihal Sarin: 2026 Candidates Predictions, Anish Giri’s ‘Drawish’ Label & More #chess “I chose this line to avoid specific variations,” Muzychuk explained after the game, noting her strategy to drag Lagno into less-charted territory.The game turned on a key error on move 28. Lagno, who defended brilliantly under immense pressure, faltered when Muzychuk sacrificed a piece for two pawns and a surge of initiative. While Lagno could have opted for a queen exchange to enter a difficult but defensible endgame, she chose to push forward with 28…exd4.Watch: The decision became fatal. Muzychuk responded with 29.Qxd4 and launched a decisive attack that forced a close just three moves later.The win catapults Muzychuk to the top of the rankings with 2.5 points, where she is tied with Bibisara Assaubayeva. The tournament now moves into Round 5 where Muzychuk will face Aleksandra Goryachkina while Lagno looks to bounce back against Assaubayeva. Thursday is a rest day and the tournament will enter the Round 5 phase on Friday.
Pairings in Round 5 – FIDE Women’s Candidates:
- Aleksandra Goryachkina – Anna Muzychuk
- Zhu Jiner – Vaishali Rameshbabu
- Tan Zhongyi – Divya Deshmukh
- Kateryna Lagno – Bibisara Assaubayeva
