Vaishali triumphs @ FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026 Cyprus

April 16, 2026

Indian Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu (8.5) emerged the champion ahead of Kazakh GM Bibisara Assaubayeva (8.0) after the 14th round of the FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026 at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus…

Sindarov (9.5/13) wins Candidates 2026 with a round to spare @ Cyprus

April 15, 2026

Uzbek Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov with a stunning 9.5/13 score won the FIDE Candidates 2026 with a round to spare after the 13th round at Cyprus. In the women’s section, GMs Vaishali Rameshbabu (India) & Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan) led the table with 7.5 points…

Zhu Jiner joins Vaishali in lead, Sindarov 9/12 @ Cyprus

April 13, 2026

GM Zhu Jiner & Vaishali Rameshbabu led the FIDE Women's Candidates 2026 while GM Javokhir Sindarov led the Open section after the 12th round at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, Cyprus...

GMs Zhu Jiner & Vaishali Rameshbabu led the FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026 while GM Javokhir Sindarov led the Open section after the 12th round at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, Cyprus…

Sindarov & Vaishali stay on top @ Cyprus

April 12, 2026

GMs Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan) and Vaishali Rameshbabu (India) led the FIDE Candidates 2026 after the 11th round at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus…

Abdusattorov (5.5/8) snatches lead @ Prague Masters

Posted on March 6, 2026 BY R.R. Vasudevan

TATA Steel winner GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov defeated local star GM David Navara moving into sole lead with 5.5 points after the 8th and penultimate round of the Prague International Chess Festival 2026 organised by Novy Bor Chess Club at Hotel Don Giovanni, Prague. Grandmasters Jorden van Foreest (5.0) and David Navara (4.5) trail the leader and will have a shot at the title with a favorable final round result.

Just when the game between second placed Grandmasters – Abdusattorov & Navara – appeared heading for a draw, disaster struck the home idol Navara who suffered a painful blow. Further drama in an adjacent board saw tournament leader GM Jorden van Foreest snatch defeat from a drawish position against 2025 Prague Masters winner GM Aravindh Chithambaram. These twin results completely altered the course of the tournament, with GM Abdusattorov now holding the title edge.

The Queen’s Gambit Accepted appeared going smoothly when the Czech GM navigated the middle game threats nicely taking the game into a rook and opposite colored bishop ending. But the Uzbek star kept pressing for more and the host GM succuumbed in the fifth hour of play. An innocuous pawn push 53. g4?? saw Abdusattorov snare the white bishop, further liquidating the position into a winning rook and pawn ending. A possible third title, after London Chess Classic & TATA Steel Wijk aan Zee, in three months, await Abdusattorov who needs to cross the dangerous American GM Hans Moke Niemann in the final round.

Games between GMs Nodirbek Yakubboev vs Parham Maghsoodloo, Gukesh Dommaraju vs Vincent Keymer ended in draws, while GM Hans Moke Niemann scored oved GM David Anton Guijarro. The ninth & last round starts 4 hours early by Friday, 6th March at 5 AM ET / 11 AM CET / 3:30 PM IST.

Pairings (Round 9): Abdusattorov – Niemann, Aravindh – Navara, Maghsoodloo – van Foreest, Keymer – Yakubboev, Guijarro – Gukesh.

Results (Round 8): Hans Moke Niemann (3.5) beat David Anton Guijarro (3.5), Gukesh Dommaraju (2.5) drew with Vincent Keymer (4.0), Nodirbek Yakubboev (3.5) drew with Parham Maghsoodloo (4.0), Jorden van Foreest (5.0) lost to Aravindh Chithambaram (4.0), David Navara (4.5) lost to Nodirbek Abdusattorov (5.5).

David Navara (2628) – Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2751) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 b5 6. e5 Nd5 7. Nxb5 Nb6 8. Be2 Nc6 9. Be3 Be7 10. Nc3 O-O 11. a3 Bb7 12. Qc2 Na5 13. h4 Nd5 14. Ng5 g6 15. Nxd5 Bxd5 16. Ne4 c5 17. dxc5 Nb3 18. Rd1 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 Qa5+ 20. Kf1 Rad8 21. Qxc4 Rxd1+ 22. Bxd1 Nd2+ 23. Bxd2 Qxd2 24. Qc2 Qd4 25. c6 Rb8 26. b4 Rd8 27. c7 Rc8 28. g3 Qxe5 29. Qe2 Qxc7 30. Kg2 Bf6 31. h5 Bd4 32. Qe4 Qc6 33. Re1 Kg7 34. Qxc6 Rxc6 35. Re2 Rc3 36. a4 Ra3 37. hxg6 hxg6 38. f4 Bc3 39. b5 Ba5 40. Rb2 Rd3 41. Bf3 Kf6 42. Rc2 Ra3 43. Rc8 Bb6 44. Rb8 Kf5 45. Rf8 Kf6 46. Rb8 e5 47. fxe5+ Kxe5 48. Re8+ Kd6 49. Bd1 Kd7 50. Re4 f5 51. Rc4 Ra2+ 52. Bc2 Ke6

53. g4?? (Here GM Navara slides to defeat, when 53. Rc6+ Ke5 54. Kf1 Rb2 55. Ke2 g5 56. Kd3 f4 57. gxf4+ gxf4 might have saved the day for white) 53…Kd5 54. Rc3 Kd4 55. Rc6 Bc5 56. Rxg6 Rxc2+ 57. Kg3 fxg4 58. a5 Rb2 59. Rxg4+ Kc3 60. b6 Bxb6 61. axb6 axb6 62. Rf4 b5 63. Rf3+ Kb4 64. Kf4 Re2 0-1

Jorden van Foreest (2705) – Aravindh Chithambaram (2700) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Qc7 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Qxd4 Bg4 8. Qe5 Qd6 9. Qg3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 e5 11. O-O Be7 12. Ne2 Qe6 13. Ng3 g6 14. Qb3 Qxb3 15. axb3 Bc5 16. Bg5 Nd7 17. Rfd1 f6 18. Bd2 Ke7 19. Ne2 Rhd8 20. Nc1 Bd6 21. b4 f5 22. Nb3 Nf6 23. exf5 gxf5 24. Na5 Rd7 25. Nc4 Bc7 26. Re1 Ke6 27. Be3 e4 28. Bb6 Nd5 29. Bxc7 Rxc7 30. f3 Nxb4 31. Re2 b5 32. Na5 c5 33. fxe4 f4 34. Nb3 Rd8 35. c3 Nd3 36. Ra6+ Kf7 37. e5 Re7 38. e6+ Kf6 39. Nd2 Kf5 40. Nf3 Rd5 41. Rc6 Kf6 42. g4 fxg3 43. hxg3 a5 44. Kg2 a4 45. Ra6 b4 46. cxb4 cxb4 47. Rxa4 Rxe6 48. Rxe6+ Kxe6 49. g4 Rd7 50. b3 Kd5 51. Ra5+ Ke4 52. Kg3 Rb7 53. Rf5 Nc1 54. Rf4+ Ke3 55. Nd4 Kd3 56. Kh4 Rb6 57. Rf1 Na2 58. Rf4 Nc3 59. Nf3 Ke3 60. Rf5 Rh6+ 61. Kg3