Candidates Round 12: Zhu Catches Vaishali, Sindarov Sails

With the end of the 2026 FIDE Candidates and Women’s Candidates tournaments approaching, players who are no longer in contention for first place seem to have accepted their fate and stopped taking big risks, particularly in the Open. But in the Women’s event, half the field is very much still in contention!

Open: Giri Lets His Chance Slip

Round 12 of the Open was quiet, with every game ending in a draw, which means GM Javokhir Sindarov maintains his two-point lead and is now just half a point away from winning the tournament and securing his slot in the next World Championship match.

The most eventful moment of Sindarov – Nakamura. (Photo courtesy FIDE/Michal Walusza)

Sindarov made a relatively quick draw against GM Hikaru Nakamura in a game that lasted around 30 minutes. It was clear that neither player had any intention of taking risks, and both were content with the result.

Sindarov and Nakamura explain their reasoning behind the quick draw. (Photo courtesy FIDE/Michal Walusza)

Meanwhile, the one game that could have truly changed the situation didn’t move the needle in the end. GM Anish Giri came extremely close to defeating GM Wei Yi, which would have closed the gap, but he was unable to convert his advantage, and the game eventually ended in a draw.

Giri pushed Wei Yi to the limit in a six-hour affair on Sunday. (Photo courtesy FIDE/Michal Walusza)

Only a miracle (two wins for Giri and two losses for Sindarov) can now give Giri a chance to change Sindarov’s fate.

Giri realizes the win is not there. (Photo courtesy FIDE/Niki Riga)

The game between GM Matthias Bluebaum and GM Fabiano Caruana gave White a moment for a possible Karpov-esque idea, where White quietly improves the position by creating a second weakness on the kingside. The idea was to increase pressure on the d-pawn, which could eventually fall if Black wasn’t careful. This idea didn’t come to fruition, however, and soon the game petered out to a draw.

The game between GM Andrey Esipenko and GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu featured an interesting opening, but Black managed to neutralize all of White’s attacking ideas early on. The position was simplified through exchanges into a well-balanced endgame, which eventually ended in a draw.

Graphic courtesy of FIDE

Women’s: Calamity Continues

The highest-rated player in the event, Zhu Jiner, is making a late push to the top of the leaderboard. (Photo courtesy FIDE/Niki Riga)

For Round 12, the fire was definitely hotter in the Women’s, where leader GM Vaishali Rameshbabu was defeated and caught by GM Zhu Jiner at the top, turning the race into a tight battle for first.

Zhu caught up to Vaishali Rameshbabu with only two rounds to go. (Photo courtesy FIDE/Michal Walusza)

Then, with a chance to join the two leaders, GM Anna Muzychuk failed to convert a completely winning rook endgame against GM Aleksandra Goryachkina.

The start of the most tense game of the round: Muzychuk – Goryachkina. (Photo courtesy FIDE/Niki Riga)

Under the pressure of the event and severe time trouble, she ultimately let her opponent escape with a drawing idea. This was the most dramatic moment in the Women’s section, leaving her half a point behind the leaders.

The clock and the tournament standings got to Muzychuk deep into a rook-versus-pawns endgame. (Photo courtesy FIDE/Niki Riga)

GM Bibisara Assaubayeva scored an important win over GM Kateryna Lagno to join Muzychuk in a share of third place. She played a sharp, unbalanced game out of the Italian Opening, sacrificing material for initiative and kingside pressure.

With another win, Assaubayeva is now tied for third! (Photo courtesy FIDE/Niki Riga)

Lagno had chances to consolidate but twice missed finding defensive resources, allowing Assaubayeva to turn the game around.

GM Tan Zhongyi picked up her first win of the tournament against GM Divya Deshmukh, a result that doesn’t change the top standings but is still an important personal breakthrough.

Tan Zhongyi (R), the 2024 Women's Candidates winner, is finally on the board after 12 rounds. (Photo courtesy FIDE/Niki Riga)

Graphic courtesy of FIDE

With only two rounds remaining, we are narrowing down Sindarov’s path to the title, while the Women’s event has turned into a tight race where anything can still happen.

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