In the Women’s Candidates tournament held in Cyprus, Indian chess player Vaishali Rameshbabu achieved a significant win against Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina in Round 11. Playing with black pieces, the 24-year-old secured the victory, moving to 7 points out of 11 and establishing a one-point lead at the top of the standings.
Goryachkina, using white pieces, chose a Reverse London System, which analysts described as a passive opening that failed to provide any edge. Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay noted that this setup allowed Vaishali to equalize easily and gain a slight advantage after introducing a novelty on move 11.
The game seemed headed for a draw following an early queen exchange, but Goryachkina’s rook placement on move 25 created a trap for her own piece. By move 26, the position became difficult for her, and a blunder on move 30 led to the loss of the exchange, resulting in a straightforward win for Vaishali in the endgame.
In the same round, fellow Indian player Divya Deshmukh drew with Zhu Jiner, leaving Zhu tied for second with Anna Muzychuk at 6 points, while Divya holds 5 points.
The Open section featured all draws: Anish Giri vs. Andrey Esipenko, Hikaru Nakamura vs. Wei Yi, Fabiano Caruana vs. Javokhir Sindarov, and R Praggnanandhaa vs. Matthias Blübaum. This outcome ended Praggnanandhaa’s title chances, though Vaishali continues to represent India strongly. Uzbek player Javokhir Sindarov moved closer to winning the Open section after his draw.
Round 11 Results – April 11, 2026
Open Section:
Anish Giri 0.5–0.5 Andrey Esipenko
Hikaru Nakamura 0.5–0.5 Wei Yi
Fabiano Caruana 0.5–0.5 Javokhir Sindarov
R Praggnanandhaa 0.5–0.5 Matthias Blübaum
Women’s Section:
Kateryna Lagno 0.5–0.5 Anna Muzychuk
Tan Zhongyi 0.5–0.5 Bibisara Assaubayeva
Zhu Jiner 0.5–0.5 Divya Deshmukh
Aleksandra Goryachkina 0–1 Vaishali Rameshbabu
Round 12 Pairings – April 12, 2026
Open Section:
Andrey Esipenko vs. R Praggnanandhaa
Matthias Blübaum vs. Fabiano Caruana
Javokhir Sindarov vs. Hikaru Nakamura
Wei Yi vs. Anish Giri
Women’s Section:
Anna Muzychuk vs. Aleksandra Goryachkina
Vaishali Rameshbabu vs. Zhu Jiner
Divya Deshmukh vs. Tan Zhongyi
Bibisara Assaubayeva vs. Kateryna Lagno
With three rounds left, Vaishali appears poised to claim the Women’s Candidates title, as highlighted by Thipsay, who praised her performance and growing lead.
