Sindarov almost home and dry in the FIDE Candidates with four rounds to go

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FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 (10)

Sindarov almost home and dry in the FIDE Candidates with four rounds to go

Mark Crowther - Friday 10th April 2026

Sindarov accepts Praggnanandhaas' resignation at the end of game 10. Photo ©

Sindarov accepts Praggnanandhaas' resignation at the end of game 10. Photo © | https://candidates2026.fide.com

Javokhir Sindarov put the disappointment of missing a win against Bluebaum in Round 9 and won a fine game against Praggnanandhaa, this restored a two point lead with only four rounds to go. Sindarov said his coach told him that he was playing the best chess and not to worry. In post-game analysis he was so precise it was obvious what great form he's in, a level above anyone else here. It's of course possible Caruana could beat him with the white pieces in Round 11 and Giri in Round 13, but at this stage it seems unlikely, he's simply seeing too much, even then Giri would have to score almost perfectly to even catch him. The other games were drawn. Friday is a rest day.

In the Women's event Rameshbabu Vaishali leads after holding a draw against Anna Muzychuk but she's hardly been convincing, in fact no-one has, it's still so close that anyone in the top 6 could realistically win it.

Round 10 (of 14) Standings: 1st Javokhir Sindarov, 8/10. 2nd Anish Giri, 6. 3rd Fabiano Caruana, 5. 4th-6th Matthias Bluebaum, Hikaru Nakamura and Yi Wei, 4½. 7th R Praggnanandhaa, 4. 8th Andrey Esipenko, 3½. 8 players. FIDE Women Candidates DRR.

Women's Round 10 (of 14) Standings: 1st Rameshbabu Vaishali, 6/10. 2nd-4th Bibisara Assaubayeva, Aleksandra Goryachkina and Kateryna Lagno, 5. 5th-6th Anna Muzychuk and Jiner Zhu, 5½. 7th Deshmukh Divya, 4½. 8th Zhongyi Tan, 3½. 8 players.

Rest Day 10th April 2026.

Round 11 FIDE Candidates Anish Giri vs Andrey Esipenko, Hikaru Nakamura vs Wei Yi, Fabiano Caruana vs Javokhir Sindarov, Praggnanandhaa R vs Matthias Bluebaum.

FIDE Women’s Candidates

Kateryna Lagno vs Anna Muzychuk, Tan Zhongyi vs Bibisara Assaubayeva, Zhu Jiner vs Divya Deshmukh, Aleksandra Goryachkina vs Vaishali Rameshbabu.

FIDE Candidates Round 10

Javokhir Sindarov 1—0 Praggnanandhaa R

After missing a chance in Round 9 Sindarov confidently won in Round 10 against Praggnanandhaa and re-established a two point lead. In a highly theoretical variation of the Ragozin Sindarov said he'd forgotten his recommended preparation. But he played another sound line instead, he had to give up a piece but in his post-game press conference it's pretty clear he saw everything, and his confidence is extremely high. A draw was a the natural result but after 22...Bd7? Sindarov had a near decisive advantage and he was precise in his conversion.

Andrey Esipenko ½—½ Matthias Bluebaum

Esipenko tried something unusual against Bluebaum's Petroff, but a balanced game resulted in a draw after 40 moves.

Wei Yi ½—½ Fabiano Caruana

Caruana played a sharp variation of the French but ended up in a Queenless middlegame where Wei Yi was a bit better, but he never seemed in any real trouble and held a draw easily.

Anish Giri ½—½ Hikaru Nakamura

After two wins in a row Giri really still needed another one but Nakamura's slightly unusual 3...h6 (the eighth most common move in that position) vs the Queen's Gambit was solid enough and the game was drawn in 35 moves.

FIDE Women’s Candidates

Anna Muzychuk ½—½ Vaishali Rameshbabu

Muzychuk might have hoped for something when Vaishali played the committal 17...f5 but after 19.c3 the position reached quiet equality.

Divya Deshmukh 0—1 Aleksandra Goryachkina

Goryachkina won an endgame that both players mishandled quite badly. 56.g3? loses, 57...Bb3?= 58.Nb2? was the final error.

Bibisara Assaubayeva 1—0 Zhu Jiner

Zhu Jiner got the slightly better of the opening and turned down a draw by repetition, 31...Qe8? left black worse and never had an answer to white's Queenside pawns.

Kateryna Lagno ½—½ Tan Zhongyi

Lagno missed at least one chance to win 29...Kg8? (29...Kg6!) 30.Rd6? (30.Bc5!) and had to settle for a draw.

FIDE Candidates 2026 Pegeia CYP (CYP), 29 iii-16 iv 2026																			cat. XX (2749)
					1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8
1.	Sindarov, Javokhir	g	UZB	2745	*	*	½	.	1	.	½	½	1	.	1	.	1	1	1	½	8	2978
2.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2753	½	.	*	*	½	1	½	.	½	½	½	.	0	1	1	.	6	2830
3.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	USA	2795	0	.	½	0	*	*	1	.	1	0	1	½	½	.	½	.	5	2751
4.	Bluebaum, Matthias	g	GER	2698	½	½	½	.	0	.	*	*	½	.	½	½	½	.	½	½	4½	2713
5.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2810	0	.	½	½	0	1	½	.	*	*	½	.	½	.	½	½	4½	2707
6.	Wei, Yi	g	CHN	2754	0	.	½	.	0	½	½	½	½	.	*	*	½	½	1	.	4½	2711
7.	Praggnanandhaa, R	g	IND	2741	0	0	1	0	½	.	½	.	½	.	½	½	*	*	½	.	4	2678
8.	Esipenko, Andrey	g	RUS	2698	0	½	0	.	½	.	½	½	½	½	0	.	½	.	*	*	3½	2644

Round 10 (April 9, 2026)
Sindarov, Javokhir	- Praggnanandhaa, R	1-0	53	D37	QGD 5.Bf4
Giri, Anish	- Nakamura, Hikaru	½-½	36	D31	Semi-Slav Defence
Wei, Yi	- Caruana, Fabiano	½-½	39	C15	French Winawer
Esipenko, Andrey	- Bluebaum, Matthias	½-½	40	C42	Petroff's Defence

FIDE Women Candidates Pegeia CYP (CYP), 29 iii-16 iv 2026																			cat. XI (2520)
					1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8
1.	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	g	IND	2470	*	*	½	½	0	.	½	½	½	.	1	.	½	1	1	.	6	2594
2.	Muzychuk, Anna	g	UKR	2522	½	½	*	*	1	.	½	.	½	.	1	.	½	0	½	½	5½	2550
3.	Zhu, Jiner	g	CHN	2578	1	.	0	.	*	*	0	0	½	.	½	1	1	.	½	1	5½	2550
4.	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	g	KAZ	2516	½	½	½	.	1	1	*	*	½	½	0	.	0	.	½	.	5	2522
5.	Goryachkina, Aleksandra	g	FID	2534	½	.	½	.	½	.	½	½	*	*	½	0	½	1	½	.	5	2514
6.	Lagno, Kateryna	g	RUS	2508	0	.	0	.	½	0	1	.	½	1	*	*	½	.	1	½	5	2529
7.	Divya, Deshmukh	g	IND	2497	½	0	½	1	0	.	1	.	½	0	½	.	*	*	½	.	4½	2482
8.	Tan, Zhongyi	g	CHN	2535	0	.	½	½	½	0	½	.	½	.	0	½	½	.	*	*	3½	2413

Round 10 (April 9, 2026)
Muzychuk, Anna	- Vaishali, Rameshbabu	½-½	42	C55	Two Knights Defence
Assaubayeva, Bibisara	- Zhu, Jiner	1-0	60	D43	Anti-Meran Gambit
Lagno, Kateryna	- Tan, Zhongyi	½-½	53	B28	Sicilian Early a7-a6
Divya, Deshmukh	- Goryachkina, Aleksandra	0-1	63	C90	Ruy Lopez

FIDE Candidates Round 10 Commentary

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