Chess Showdown: Vaishali's Defeat Shakes Up Candidates Tournament
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali lost to China's Jiner Zhu, shaking up the Candidates tournament. Vaishali's defeat puts her tied with Zhu and Anna Muzychuk in the lead, each with seven points. Bibisara Assaubayeva is close behind. Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov dominates the open section with an impressive nine points.
- Country:
- Cyprus
In a thrilling twist, Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali succumbed to China's Jiner Zhu on Sunday, a defeat that has thrown the Candidates tournament wide open with just two rounds left. Vaishali could have clinched the lead with a draw, but sought victory and ultimately faltered. This marks her second defeat to Zhu in the event.
With identical seven-point scores, Vaishali now shares the lead with Zhu and Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk, who bested Russia's Aleksandra Goryachkina in a tightly contested duel. Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva remains a half point behind after quashing Russia’s Kateryna Lagno’s title hopes.
Meanwhile, Uzbek star Javokhir Sindarov continues to dominate the open section, securing an easy draw with world number two, Hikaru Nakamura. With a formidable nine points from 12 games, Sindarov is poised for a historic win. R Praggnanadhaa, Vaishali's brother, endured a draw, signaling he’s striving for resurgence in the future.
Google News