The Women’s Candidates tournament in Cyprus is set to conclude, determining the challenger to face China’s Ju Wenjun in the Women’s World Chess Championship later this year. Unless a playoff is needed, the winner will be decided in the final round.
Three players remain in contention: India’s Vaishali Rameshbabu, Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva, and China’s Zhu Jiner. Vaishali and Bibisara each hold 7.5 points out of 13, while Zhu has 7 points.
Possible outcomes include a tiebreaker if both Vaishali and Bibisara win their last games. A victory for Vaishali combined with point losses for the others would make her the champion. If Vaishali draws and Bibisara wins, the Kazakh player would claim the title, following her compatriot Javokhir Sindarov’s success in the open section. Draws by Vaishali and Bibisara alongside a win for Zhu could lead to an all-Chinese world championship match.
In round 13, Vaishali drew a challenging game against former world champion Tan Zhongyi. Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay analyzed the match, noting that Vaishali, playing black, used the Queen’s Gambit Accepted Deferred. Tan introduced an unusual knight move early, but Vaishali gained equality. However, she missed chances for a stronger position, and Tan overlooked a key opportunity later, resulting in a draw.
Elsewhere, Zhu lost to Aleksandra Goryachkina after a blunder, while Bibisara defeated Anna Muzychuk, tying her with Vaishali at the top.
Thipsay described the situation as unexpected, with the final round deciding everything. Vaishali, with white, faces Russia’s Kateryna Lagno, and Bibisara, with black, plays India’s Divya Deshmukh. Both aim for 8.5 points.
In a rare scenario, losses by Vaishali and Bibisara plus a win by Zhu against Anna Muzychuk could allow Zhu to win with 8 points.
Vaishali is positioned to make history, holding white pieces and a leading score, but the tournament’s pressure will test her resolve.
Round 13 Results (Women’s Section – April 14):
Bibisara Assaubayeva 1-0 Anna Muzychuk
Kateryna Lagno 1-0 Divya Deshmukh
Tan Zhongyi 0.5-0.5 Vaishali Rameshbabu
Zhu Jiner 0-1 Aleksandra Goryachkina
Round 14 Pairings (Women’s Section – April 15):
Anna Muzychuk vs Zhu Jiner
Aleksandra Goryachkina vs Tan Zhongyi
Vaishali Rameshbabu vs Kateryna Lagno
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara Assaubayeva
