TWIC is 31. First issue 17th September 1994.
FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 (2)
All games drawn on day two of the Candidates
Mark Crowther - Monday 30th March 2026
Kateryna Lagno vs Zhu Jiner both players in time trouble. Photo © | https://candidates2026.fide.com
The second round of the FIDE Candidates in the Cap St Georges resort, near Pegeia, Cyprus saw all the games finish in a draw in the end. In the open event maybe Javokhir Sindarov got a little something against Matthias Bluebaum and perhaps Praggnanandhaa too could have done a little better against Wei Yi, Anish Giri vs Fabiano Caruana was a well played draw, Hikaru Nakamura suffered a little bit against Andrey Esipenko but there was never anything clear.
In the women's event there were more missed chances with Kateryna Lagno escaping a lost position for the second day running, this time against Zhu Jiner. Vaishali Rameshbabu was briefly lost against Divya Deshmukh having at first equalised quite comfortable. Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Aleksandra Goryachkina and Anna Muzychuk vs Tan Zhongyi were correct draws. There hasn't been a decisive game yet in the women's event so everyone is tied for first place.
Round 2 Standings: 1st= Caruana, Praggnanandhaa, Sindarov 1.5pt; 4th= Bluebaum, Wei Yi 1pt; 6th= Nakamura, Giri, Esipenko 0.5pts.
FIDE Candidates Round 3 Monday 31st March: Matthias Bluebaum vs Andrey Esipenko Praggnanandhaa R vs Javokhir Sindarov Fabiano Caruana vs Wei Yi Hikaru Nakamura vs Anish Giri
FIDE Women’s Candidates Round 3: Vaishali Rameshbabu vs Anna Muzychuk Aleksandra Goryachkina vs Divya Deshmukh Zhu Jiner vs Bibisara Assaubayeva Tan Zhongyi vs Kateryna Lagno
Round 2 Summary
FIDE Candidates
Andrey Esipenko vs Hikaru Nakamura
This was an English that was the final game to finish. Esipenko didn't get a lot but tried to press for a long time.
Anish Giri vs Fabiano Caruana
Fabiano Caruana played a slightly funky move order with 3...Nd7 as black in the Queen's Gambit, pieces were traded and they drew by repetition on move 30.
Wei Yi vs Praggnanandhaa R
Praggnanandhaa was a little better on the black side of a French Defence, perhaps he didn't quite realise he should push for more and instead complete equality was reached on move 30 and a draw agreed on move 46.
Javokhir Sindarov vs Matthias Bluebaum
Sindarov played the slightly unusual 4.Nd3 against Bluebaum's Petroff Defence, 16.d5 looked the most interesting try for white but a draw in 42 moves seemed a very fair result.
FIDE Women’s Candidates
Anna Muzychuk vs Tan Zhongyi
A Petroff where not much happened.
Kateryna Lagno vs Zhu Jiner
Lagno escaped a lost position for the second day running. 19...Bc5! or 28...Qg4! were clear wins for black, 28...Qb4 29.Rxe6 allowed a draw by perpetual check although it should be noted Tan was virtually down to the increment.
Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Aleksandra Goryachkina
This was a well played theoretical semi-Tarrasch that finished in a draw.
Divya Deshmukh vs Vaishali Rameshbabu
This game ended up in a Carlsbad structure and black was fine. 34...Ne4? was based on a miscalculation and should have lost for black, 37.Qg3 allowed black to escape (37.Qg4 exchanging Queens led to a lost endgame for black) when a Queen sacrifice led to an equal position.
Round 2 Commentary
| FIDE Candidates 2026 Pegeia CYP (CYP), 29 iii-16 iv 2026 | cat. XX (2749) | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||||||||||||||
| 1. | Praggnanandhaa, R | g | IND | 2741 | * | * | . | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | 1½ | 2946 |
| 2. | Sindarov, Javokhir | g | UZB | 2745 | . | . | * | * | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | . | 1½ | 2891 |
| 3. | Caruana, Fabiano | g | USA | 2795 | . | . | . | . | * | * | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | 1 | . | . | . | 1½ | 2974 |
| 4. | Bluebaum, Matthias | g | GER | 2698 | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | * | * | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 2749 |
| 5. | Wei, Yi | g | CHN | 2754 | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | * | * | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 2719 |
| 6. | Giri, Anish | g | NED | 2753 | 0 | . | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | * | * | . | . | . | . | ½ | 2575 |
| 7. | Nakamura, Hikaru | g | USA | 2810 | . | . | . | . | 0 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | * | * | ½ | . | ½ | 2553 |
| 8. | Esipenko, Andrey | g | RUS | 2698 | . | . | 0 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | * | * | ½ | 2584 |
| Round 2 (March 30, 2026) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sindarov, Javokhir | - Bluebaum, Matthias | ½-½ | 42 | C42 | Petroff's Defence | |
| Wei, Yi | - Praggnanandhaa, R | ½-½ | 46 | C11 | French Defence | |
| Giri, Anish | - Caruana, Fabiano | ½-½ | 30 | D30 | Queen's Gambit (without Nc3) | |
| Esipenko, Andrey | - Nakamura, Hikaru | ½-½ | 51 | A13 | Reti Opening | |
| FIDE Women Candidates Pegeia CYP (CYP), 29 iii-16 iv 2026 | cat. XI (2520) | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||||||||||||||
| 1. | Tan, Zhongyi | g | CHN | 2535 | * | * | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | 1 | 2550 |
| 2. | Muzychuk, Anna | g | UKR | 2522 | ½ | . | * | * | . | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 2516 |
| 3. | Assaubayeva, Bibisara | g | KAZ | 2516 | . | . | . | . | * | * | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | 1 | 2502 |
| 4. | Goryachkina, Aleksandra | g | FID | 2534 | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | * | * | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 2512 |
| 5. | Lagno, Kateryna | g | RUS | 2508 | . | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | * | * | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | 1 | 2556 |
| 6. | Divya, Deshmukh | g | IND | 2497 | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | * | * | ½ | . | . | . | 1 | 2496 |
| 7. | Vaishali, Rameshbabu | g | IND | 2470 | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | * | * | . | . | 1 | 2506 |
| 8. | Zhu, Jiner | g | CHN | 2578 | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | * | * | 1 | 2521 |
| Round 2 (March 30, 2026) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muzychuk, Anna | - Tan, Zhongyi | ½-½ | 32 | C42 | Petroff's Defence | |
| Assaubayeva, Bibisara | - Goryachkina, Aleksandra | ½-½ | 40 | D41 | Semi-Tarrasch Defence | |
| Lagno, Kateryna | - Zhu, Jiner | ½-½ | 34 | C07 | French Tarrasch | |
| Divya, Deshmukh | - Vaishali, Rameshbabu | ½-½ | 44 | D31 | Semi-Slav Defence | |
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