Giri holds leader Sindarov, Anna Muzychuk ahead @ Cyprus
Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri finally held runaway leader GM Javokhir Sindarov to a draw in the 7th round in the FIDE Candidates 2026 at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus. The 2025 World Cup winner GM Sindarov still led the pack with 6.0 points, holding a massive 1.5 points lead. Former World Championship Challenger GM Fabiano Caruana (USA) trailed in the second spot 1.5 points behind at 4.5 points after being held to a draw by Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu.
In the game of the day, Chinese Grandmaster Wei Yi landed his first win scoring over World Cup Goa bronze medallist GM Andrey Esipenko. The Petroff defence game shaped up evenly before Esipenko’s over ambitious moves doomed white’s chances.Wei Yi’s crushing queen-side attack concluded the game in 30 moves.
All attention went to the big battle between leader GM Javokhir Sindarov and renowned theoretician GM Anish Giri. The Queen’s Gambit Declined game didn’t disappoint, entertaining chess lovers for more than five hours and 85 moves. Midway through the Uzbek star built up an hour’s lead on the clock and ominous signs were appearing in the horizon. But, the Dutch maestro hung in gamely and despite the unpleasant position on hand defended accurately landing his moves in time denying white a victory.
Elsewhere, the games between GMs Praggnanandhaa vs Caruana, Bluebaum vs Nakamura ended in draws. With the tournament evolving into a two horse race between GMs Sindarov and Caruana, the Candidates moved into its second rest day. Seven more rounds remain to be played with the players facing each other under reversed colors.
Last minute entrant GM Anna Muzychuk led the women’s section with 4.5 points from 7 rounds. Anna is closely followed by two-time FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss winner GM Vaishali Rameshbabu at 4.0 points. A fortunate win for Indian Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu propelled her to the sole second place, behind leader GM Anna Muzychuk. Handling a difficult position against former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi, the Chennai based Grandmaster kept fighting and turned it around when the Chinese made a fatal mistake. In spite of having less than a minute on clock, GM Vaishali made good the chance that came her way, sewing up the game in 51 moves. The other Indian in the fray, GM Divya Deshmukh missed win to draw a marathon 135 mover against former world rapid & blitz champion GM Kateryna Lagno.
Similar to every Candidates Tournament since 2013, this event will be a 8 player double round-robin tournament. The winner of the Candidates 2026 tournament will earn the right to play the next FIDE World Chess Championship against the reigning World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. The winner of the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates tournament will earn the right to challenge Women’s world champion Ju Wenjun.
After a day of rest, Round 8 starts by Tuesday, 7th April at 8:45 AM ET / 2:45 PM CEST / 6:15 PM IST.
Round 7 Results (Open): Andrey Esipenko (2.0) lost to Wei Yi (3.0), Javokhir Sindarov (6.0) drew with Anish Giri (3.5), Matthias Bluebaum (3.0) drew with Hikaru Nakamura (2.5), Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (3.5) drew with Fabiano Caruana (4.5).
Round 7 Results (Women): Aleksandra Goryachkina (3.5) drew with Zhu Jiner (3.5), Vaishali Rameshbabu (4.0) beat Tan Zhongyi (2.5), Divya Deshmukh (3.5) drew with Kateryna Lagno (3.5), Anna Muzychuk (4.5) drew with Bibisara Assaubayeva (3.0).
Andrey Esipenko (2698) – Wei Yi (2754) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Qe2 d5 5. Nxe5 Be7 6. f3 Nd6 7. Nc3 Nf5 8. Qf2 O-O 9. Bf4 f6 10. Nd3 Nc6 11. Ne2 Nb4 12. Nxb4 Bxb4+ 13. c3 Bd6 14. Bd2 Qe8 15. Kd1 Qa4+ 16. Kc1 b5 17. Nf4 c5 18. Bd3 cxd4 19. Bc2 Qa6 20. cxd4 Bd7 21. Kb1 Rac8 22. Bd3 Rc4 23. Ne2 Ne7 24. g4 Rfc8 25. h4 b4 26. b3 Bb5 27. bxc4 Bxc4 28. Bc2 Bd3 29. Bc3 bxc3 30. Nc1
30…Rb8+ 0-1
Picture & Graphics courtesy: Michal Walusza / Yoav Nis / FIDE
Event photo gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fide/
LIVE Broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/@FIDE_chess
Official Site: https://candidates2026.fide.com/
