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Vaishali R stuns Goryachkina to take sole lead in the Women’s Candidates, while Javokhir Sindarov holds firm at the top of the open section with just three rounds remaining.
Vaishali R continues to hold a slender lead over the rest of the pack after Round 11 (X/FIDE Media)
R Vaishali delivered one of the defining performances of the tournament, defeating Aleksandra Goryachkina with the black pieces to seize outright control of the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates.
The Indian Grandmaster’s fourth win of the event — and her fourth in the last six rounds — took her to 7 points from 11 games, giving her a crucial one-point lead over the chasing pack.
For Goryachkina, the loss is a near-fatal blow to her title hopes, leaving her stranded on five points, two behind the leader.
Vaishali’s surge was further aided by results elsewhere. Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner, her closest rivals, were both held to draws by Kateryna Lagno and Divya Deshmukh, respectively.
With just a few rounds remaining, the momentum is firmly with Vaishali, who now stands on the brink of a historic breakthrough.
Sindarov Edges Closer to the Crown
In the open section, Javokhir Sindarov continues to dictate terms at the top.
Round 11 ended in a rare stalemate across all boards, with every game finishing in a draw.
Sindarov calmly held Fabiano Caruana to maintain his two-point lead with just three rounds to go.
At 8.5 points, the Uzbek prodigy is now firmly in the driver’s seat. Even a steady run of draws from here could be enough to seal the tournament and earn a shot at the world title.
Behind him, opportunities slipped away. R Praggnanandhaa came closest to breaking the deadlock but couldn’t convert against Matthias Bluebaum. Anish Giri also failed to capitalise on a promising position against Andrey Esipenko, while Hikaru Nakamura and Wei Yi settled for a quick draw.
For the chasing pack, time and rounds are rapidly running out, while Sindarov continues to run away with the glory.
The Candidates tournament, being held in Peyia, will crown a winner who earns €70,000 and, more importantly, the right to challenge reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju.
April 12, 2026, 11:28 IST
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