R Vaishali Draws Level In Candidates Standings Ahead Of Crucial Final Rounds
R Vaishali faces crucial penultimate-round clash after setback in Candidates tournament race.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali is under mounting pressure at the Women’s Candidates Chess Tournament after a key setback in the penultimate rounds, as the race to challenge reigning world champion Ju Wenjun heads into a tense finish in Paphos.
Vaishali, who had earlier held a one-point lead, slipped in the 12th round after losing with the white pieces to China’s Zhu Jiner. The defeat allowed Zhu to draw level with her at the top of the standings, intensifying competition ahead of the final stages of the tournament. Vaishali now faces a crucial penultimate-round clash against former women’s world champion Tan Zhongyi.
The contest has tightened further with several players still in mathematical contention. Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva and Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk remain within striking distance after strong performances, sitting just half a point behind the leaders. Russia’s Kateryna Lagno also remains a dangerous opponent despite being slightly further back in the standings.
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Vaishali and Zhu are currently tied at seven points, while Assaubayeva and Muzychuk follow closely on 6.5 points. Lagno, along with fellow Russian contender Aleksandra Goryachkina, is on 5.5 points, while India’s Divya Deshmukh and Tan Zhongyi are on five points, keeping the leaderboard tightly packed and the title race open.
In the open section, Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov is in a commanding position with nine points and needs only a draw to secure a potential world championship match against India’s D Gukesh later this year. Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri remains his closest challenger on seven points, while other top contenders including Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Wei Yi, Matthias Bluebaum, and India’s R Praggnanandhaa trail behind as the tournament heads toward a dramatic conclusion.
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