TWIC is 31. First issue 17th September 1994.
FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 (9)
Sindarov misses a big opportunity and Giri beats Caruana in Candidates Round 9
Mark Crowther - Wednesday 8th April 2026
Fabiano Caruana was beaten by Anish Giri ending his chances and boosting Giri's. Photo © | https://candidates2026.fide.com
The 9th Round of the FIDE Candidates tournament in Cyprus saw some very consequent action. First of all the leader by two points Javokhir Sindarov missed a clear winning chance against Matthias Bluebaum and had to settle for a draw. No disaster but nevertheless a chance. Fabiano Caruana dropped out of contention when he lost to Anish Giri, who is now 1.5 points behind Sindarov and is surely the only player that can catch the leader.
In the women's event there was another very wild day that finished with Zhu Jiner and Rameshbabu Vaishali sharing the lead, Anna Muzychuk missed a chance to join them.
Round 9 (of 14) Standings: 1st Javokhir Sindarov, 7/9. 2nd Anish Giri, 5½. 3rd-5th Matthias Bluebaum, R Praggnanandhaa and Yi Wei, 4. 6th Fabiano Caruana, 4½. 7th Hikaru Nakamura, 3½. 8th Andrey Esipenko, 2½. 8 players. FIDE Women Candidates DRR.
Round 9 (of 14) Standings: 1st-2nd Jiner Zhu and Rameshbabu Vaishali, 5½/9. 3rd Anna Muzychuk, 5. 4th-5th Bibisara Assaubayeva and Aleksandra Goryachkina, 4. 6th-7th Deshmukh Divya and Kateryna Lagno, 4½. 8th Zhongyi Tan, 3. 8 players.
Round 10 13:30GMT 9th April 2026 FIDE Candidates Andrey Esipenko vs Matthias Bluebaum, Javokhir Sindarov vs Praggnanandhaa R, Wei Yi vs Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri vs Hikaru Nakamura.
FIDE Women’s Candidates Round 10:
Anna Muzychuk vs Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh vs Aleksandra Goryachkina, Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Zhu Jiner, Kateryna Lagno vs Tan Zhongyi.
FIDE Candidates Round 9
Hikaru Nakamura draw Andrey Esipenko
Hikaru Nakamura got a small endgame edge against Andrey Esipenko but had no winning chances.
Fabiano Caruana 0—1 Anish Giri
Anish Giri moved into clear second place after defeating Fabiano Caruana. The finish of the game was rather strange, it should have been clear that 38.cxc5 was absolutely forced, Caruana didn't play this and had to resign only a few moves later.
Praggnanandhaa R draw Wei Yi
This game was equal for a long time but on the run up to first time control Wei Yi blundered but somehow scrambled to a draw.
Matthias Bluebaum ½—½ Javokhir Sindarov
Bluebaum decided to play sharply against the leader Sindarov by castling Queenside and he ended up in a lost position. In a surprise Sindarov didn't find the best and they ended up in a drawn Rook and Pawn Endgame.
FIDE Women’s Candidates Round 9
Tan Zhongyi ½—½ Anna Muzychuk
Anna Muzychuk had the opportunity to bounce straight back today when she outplayed Tan but in the end she allowed her opponent to escape with a draw.
Zhu Jiner 1—0 Kateryna Lagno
Lagno's wildly fluctuation fortunes continued when she followed a win with a loss today.
Aleksandra Goryachkina ½—½ Bibisara Assaubayeva
An interesting Sicilian drawn in 37 moves.
Vaishali Rameshbabu 1—0 Divya Deshmukh
A Reti where Vaishali got a significant advantage quickly and won in 31 moves.
| FIDE Women Candidates Pegeia CYP (CYP), 29 iii-16 iv 2026 | cat. XI (2520) | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||||||||||||||
| 1. | Zhu, Jiner | g | CHN | 2578 | * | * | 1 | . | 0 | . | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | 0 | . | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | 5½ | 2593 |
| 2. | Vaishali, Rameshbabu | g | IND | 2470 | 0 | . | * | * | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | . | 5½ | 2602 |
| 3. | Muzychuk, Anna | g | UKR | 2522 | 1 | . | ½ | . | * | * | ½ | 0 | 1 | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | 5 | 2561 |
| 4. | Divya, Deshmukh | g | IND | 2497 | 0 | . | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | * | * | ½ | . | 1 | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | 4½ | 2517 |
| 5. | Lagno, Kateryna | g | RUS | 2508 | ½ | 0 | 0 | . | 0 | . | ½ | . | * | * | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | 4½ | 2529 |
| 6. | Assaubayeva, Bibisara | g | KAZ | 2516 | 1 | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | . | 0 | . | * | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 4 | 2473 |
| 7. | Goryachkina, Aleksandra | g | FID | 2534 | ½ | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | * | ½ | . | 4 | 2473 |
| 8. | Tan, Zhongyi | g | CHN | 2535 | ½ | 0 | 0 | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | * | * | 3 | 2400 |
| Round 9 (April 8, 2026) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhu, Jiner | - Lagno, Kateryna | 1-0 | 46 | A06 | Zukertort Opening | |
| Vaishali, Rameshbabu | - Divya, Deshmukh | 1-0 | 31 | A06 | Zukertort Opening | |
| Goryachkina, Aleksandra | - Assaubayeva, Bibisara | ½-½ | 37 | B30 | Sicilian Rossolimo | |
| Tan, Zhongyi | - Muzychuk, Anna | ½-½ | 56 | D80 | Gruenfeld 4.Bg5 | |
| FIDE Women Candidates Pegeia CYP (CYP), 29 iii-16 iv 2026 | cat. XI (2520) | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||||||||||||||
| 1. | Zhu, Jiner | g | CHN | 2578 | * | * | 1 | . | 0 | . | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | 0 | . | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | 5½ | 2593 |
| 2. | Vaishali, Rameshbabu | g | IND | 2470 | 0 | . | * | * | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | . | 5½ | 2602 |
| 3. | Muzychuk, Anna | g | UKR | 2522 | 1 | . | ½ | . | * | * | ½ | 0 | 1 | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | 5 | 2561 |
| 4. | Divya, Deshmukh | g | IND | 2497 | 0 | . | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | * | * | ½ | . | 1 | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | 4½ | 2517 |
| 5. | Lagno, Kateryna | g | RUS | 2508 | ½ | 0 | 0 | . | 0 | . | ½ | . | * | * | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | 4½ | 2529 |
| 6. | Assaubayeva, Bibisara | g | KAZ | 2516 | 1 | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | . | 0 | . | * | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 4 | 2473 |
| 7. | Goryachkina, Aleksandra | g | FID | 2534 | ½ | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | * | ½ | . | 4 | 2473 |
| 8. | Tan, Zhongyi | g | CHN | 2535 | ½ | 0 | 0 | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | * | * | 3 | 2400 |
| Round 9 (April 8, 2026) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhu, Jiner | - Lagno, Kateryna | 1-0 | 46 | A06 | Zukertort Opening | |
| Vaishali, Rameshbabu | - Divya, Deshmukh | 1-0 | 31 | A06 | Zukertort Opening | |
| Goryachkina, Aleksandra | - Assaubayeva, Bibisara | ½-½ | 37 | B30 | Sicilian Rossolimo | |
| Tan, Zhongyi | - Muzychuk, Anna | ½-½ | 56 | D80 | Gruenfeld 4.Bg5 | |
Round 9 Commentary
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