Sindarov extends his lead to two points in the Candidates even after a draw in Round 8

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FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 (8)

Sindarov extends his lead to two points in the Candidates even after a draw in Round 8

Mark Crowther - Wednesday 8th April 2026

There was an extraordinary turn around in the game between Anna Muzychuk and Deshmukh Divya in Round 8. Photo ©

There was an extraordinary turn around in the game between Anna Muzychuk and Deshmukh Divya in Round 8. Photo © | https://candidates2026.fide.com

Javokhir Sindarov is in the poll position of the FIDE Candidates in Cyprus after drawing with Andrey Esipenko in Round 8 and moving to 6.5/8. Sindarov was barely troubled in the first game to finish. Sindarov's closest challenger was Fabiano Caruana but he was defeated by a determined Hikaru Nakamura. Anish Giri joined Caruana in a tie for second place two points behind Sindarov after beating Praggnanandhaa, the gap is still a bit too far to make Giri optimistic but he's in touch if Sindarov starts to lose. Wei Yi drew against Bluebaum in the other game.

The women's event was blown wide open by an extraordinary reversal of fortunes for Anna Muzychuk in her game against Divya Deshmukh. Muzychuk was heading for victory on move 40, she chose second best and only a few moves later the position was equal, she missed something else and lost the game. That meant five of the eight players are tied for the lead.

Open Round 8 (of 14) Standings: 1st Javokhir Sindarov, 6½/8. 2nd-3rd Anish Giri and Fabiano Caruana, 4½. 4th-7th Matthias Bluebaum, R Praggnanandhaa, Hikaru Nakamura and Yi Wei, 3½. 8th Andrey Esipenko, 2½. 8 players. FIDE Women Candidates DRR.

Women's Round 8 (of 14) Standings: 1st-5th Anna Muzychuk, Deshmukh Divya, Rameshbabu Vaishali, Jiner Zhu and Kateryna Lagno, 4½/8. 6th-7th Aleksandra Goryachkina and Bibisara Assaubayeva, 3½. 8th Zhongyi Tan, 2½. 8 players.

Round 9 Wednesday 8th April 2026. FIDE Candidates Hikaru Nakamura — Andrey Esipenko Fabiano Caruana — Anish Giri Praggnanandhaa R — Wei Yi Matthias Bluebaum — Javokhir Sindarov

FIDE Women’s Candidates Round 9 Tan Zhongyi — Anna Muzychuk Zhu Jiner — Kateryna Lagno Aleksandra Goryachkina — Bibisara Assaubayeva Vaishali Rameshbabu — Divya Deshmukh

Round 8 Summary

Andrey Esipenko ½—½ Javokhir Sindarov

Esipenko played solidly against Sindarov in a non-standard Catalan and the game was the first to finish in a draw.

Wei Yi ½—½ Matthias Bluebaum

Wei Yi got a little edge at one point but Bluebaum was never in any real trouble and Wei Yi forced a draw.

Anish Giri 1—0 Praggnanandhaa R

Anish Giri moved into a tie for second place after beating Praggnanandhaa. Giri got an easier to play position, and eventually turned it into a decisive attack.

Hikaru Nakamura 1—0 Fabiano Caruana

Nakamura scored his first win of the event against fellow countryman Fabiano Caruana. Nakamura got a small technical edge with good preparation, they reached a double rook endgame which Nakamura turned into a win with some extremely fine play.

FIDE Women’s Candidates

Anna Muzychuk 0—1 Divya Deshmukh

Anna Muzychuk got a lovely solid advantage in a Maroczy Bind. She obtained a decisive advantage which could have been crowned by a Queen exchange at move 40. She was still winning but over the next moves she completely botched the conversion and then almost unbelievably went on to lose.

Bibisara Assaubayeva ½—½ Vaishali Rameshbabu

Vaishali got good chances with the black pieces but Bibisara held on to draw with good play.

Kateryna Lagno 1—0 Aleksandra Goryachkina

Lagno got a big advantage out of the Scotch opening by playing a new move order, Goryachkina had to take on e5 when she had the chance and once she didn't and especially after f5 she was just busted. Although it took some time Lagno converted.

Tan Zhongyi 0—1 Zhu Jiner

Tan Zhongyi was worse out of the opening, almost equalised and then went down to defeat.

Round 8 commentary

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	.	1	.	1	.	1	.	1	½	6½	2994
2.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2753	½	.	*	*	½	.	½	.	½	.	0	1	½	.	1	.	4½	2790
3.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	USA	2795	0	.	½	.	*	*	1	.	1	0	½	.	1	.	½	.	4½	2794
4.	Bluebaum, Matthias	g	GER	2698	½	.	½	.	0	.	*	*	½	.	½	.	½	½	½	.	3½	2713
5.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2810	0	.	½	.	0	1	½	.	*	*	½	.	½	.	½	.	3½	2704
6.	Praggnanandhaa, R	g	IND	2741	0	.	1	0	½	.	½	.	½	.	*	*	½	.	½	.	3½	2707
7.	Wei, Yi	g	CHN	2754	0	.	½	.	0	.	½	½	½	.	½	.	*	*	1	.	3½	2699
8.	Esipenko, Andrey	g	RUS	2698	0	½	0	.	½	.	½	.	½	.	½	.	0	.	*	*	2½	2614

Round 8 (April 7, 2026)
Giri, Anish	- Praggnanandhaa, R	1-0	44	D37	QGD 5.Bf4
Nakamura, Hikaru	- Caruana, Fabiano	1-0	67	A33	English Symmetrical
Wei, Yi	- Bluebaum, Matthias	½-½	52	C28	Vienna Game
Esipenko, Andrey	- Sindarov, Javokhir	½-½	24	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.	Muzychuk, Anna	g	UKR	2522	*	*	½	0	½	.	1	.	1	.	½	.	½	.	½	.	4½	2559
2.	Divya, Deshmukh	g	IND	2497	½	1	*	*	½	.	0	.	½	.	1	.	½	.	½	.	4½	2566
3.	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	g	IND	2470	½	.	½	.	*	*	0	.	1	.	½	½	½	.	1	.	4½	2568
4.	Zhu, Jiner	g	CHN	2578	0	.	1	.	1	.	*	*	½	.	0	.	½	.	½	1	4½	2557
5.	Lagno, Kateryna	g	RUS	2508	0	.	½	.	0	.	½	.	*	*	1	.	½	1	1	.	4½	2566
6.	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	g	KAZ	2516	½	.	0	.	½	½	1	.	0	.	*	*	½	.	½	.	3½	2471
7.	Goryachkina, Aleksandra	g	FID	2534	½	.	½	.	½	.	½	.	½	0	½	.	*	*	½	.	3½	2473
8.	Tan, Zhongyi	g	CHN	2535	½	.	½	.	0	.	½	0	0	.	½	.	½	.	*	*	2½	2384

Round 8 (April 7, 2026)
Muzychuk, Anna	- Divya, Deshmukh	0-1	83	B36	Sicilian Maroczy Bind
Lagno, Kateryna	- Goryachkina, Aleksandra	1-0	66	C45	Scotch Game
Assaubayeva, Bibisara	- Vaishali, Rameshbabu	½-½	74	C55	Two Knights Defence
Tan, Zhongyi	- Zhu, Jiner	0-1	77	E32	Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2

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