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…

Game 7: Ju wins three-in-a-row, extends lead to 5-2

Posted on April 13, 2025 BY R.R. Vasudevan

Defending Champion Ju Wenjun won game 7 in the second half that began in Chongqing, China stretching her lead to three points 5-2. The four-time world champion has vastly improved her position to retain the title at the FIDE Women’s World Championship 2025. With five games remaining Ju would need 1.5 points or three draws to reach 6.5 points & retain the title. On the other hand, Challenger Tan Zhongyi would look to heaven’s and chess history to back up her belief in pulling it back.

The ceremonial first move for game 7 on the second leg was made by former Women’s World Champion Xu Yuhua, also the General Secretary of the Chinese Chess Association. The Sicilian Rossolimo game, a deviation from Tan’s usual 2…e6, went similar to Caruana-Lenic, 2018 with 14. Qh5 instead of 14. g3. Little further into the middle-game Challenger’s 27…Qh4 sounded inaccurate when a precise 27…Qg5 followed by multiple trade-offs offered hope. Having let go the opportunity Tan found herself facing the unpleasant good knight vs bad bishop ending with almost no chance to save the game.

35…Bb7? was the last straw, after which Ju Wenjun pulverized her opponent and played out a clean win in 47 moves. Like a dream vanishing without trace, a seemingly decent position crumbled in no time for Tan today. A real heart-breaker under the given circumstance. A match is not over till it is over, which is what LIVE broadcast commentator IM Irene Kharisma Sukandar felt.

The FIDE Women’s World Championship match holds a total prize fund of Euros 500,000 and the winner will be the first to reach 6.5 points. The 8th game is scheduled to begin by Monday, 14th April 2025, at 3 PM local time.

Games can be followed LIVE on Lichess, or on stream with commentary by IMs Jovanka Houska and Irene Kharisma Sukandar.

Ju Wenjun (2561) – Tan Zhongyi (2555) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Qb6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. Bd3 Ng6 9. c4 Be7 10. Nc3 O-O 11. Na4 Qc7 12. c5 d5 13. cxd6 Bxd6 14. Qh5 Rb8 15. b3 Rd8 16. Rd1 Rb4 17. Bb2 Nf4 18. Qf3 Nxd3 19. Rxd3 Ba6 20. Rdd1 Bxh2+ 21. Kh1 Bd6 22. Qc3 Bf8 23. Nc5 Rb6 24. Qe5 Qe7 25. Rac1 Rb5 26. Rxd8 Qxd8 27. Qd4 Qh4+ 28. Kg1 Bc8 29. e5 Qxd4 30. Bxd4 a5 31. f4 h5 32. Kf2 Be7 33. Ke3 g5 34. Ne4 gxf4+ 35. Kxf4 Bb7? (Better was 35…Rb4 36. Bc5)