Vaishali Stumbles at Candidates, Zhu Jiner Joins Her Atop Leaderboard
Vaishali Rameshbabu loses to Zhu Jiner, creating a tie at the top in Cyprus.
Top Summary
- What happened: Vaishali Rameshbabu lost to Zhu Jiner in Round 12 of the FIDE Candidates Tournament.
- Why it matters: Vaishali's loss throws the Women’s section wide open, creating a tie at the top of the leaderboard.
- What changes: The top spot is now shared by Vaishali and Zhu Jiner, intensifying the competition in the final rounds.
- Who is affected: Vaishali Rameshbabu, Zhu Jiner, other competitors in the Women's section, and Indian chess fans.
Vaishali's Defeat Shakes Up Women's Candidates
India's Vaishali Rameshbabu suffered a setback in Round 12 of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, losing to China's Zhu Jiner. This defeat erased Vaishali's lead and created a tie at the top of the Women's section.
Just a day prior, Vaishali celebrated a tactical victory over Aleksandra Goryachkina. However, Zhu Jiner delivered a "clinical performance" to secure a 2-0 head-to-head sweep against Vaishali in the tournament.
How Zhu Jiner Outplayed Vaishali
Vaishali opted for the Advance Variation of the Caro-Kann Defence. By move five (5. cxd3), she accepted a structurally compromised position.
Jiner's patient and surgical response put pressure on the queenside. By move 24, cracks appeared in Vaishali’s position. 24... Nb4 forced Vaishali into a defensive position.
Vaishali attempted a central break with 27. d5, but 27... Nxd5 simplified Jiner's path to victory.
The game reached its conclusion after Jiner promoted a pawn on g1. The final move, 39... Nc3, forced Vaishali to resign.
Open Section: Sindarov Nears Victory
In the Open section, Javokhir Sindarov played a draw against Hikaru Nakamura. Sindarov needs only a draw to become D Gukesh's challenger later this year.
Looking Ahead to Round 13
Round 13 will take place on April 14, 2026. Vaishali faces Tan Zhongyi, and Zhu Jiner plays Aleksandra Goryachkina.
Divya Deshmukh also lost her Round 12 game against China’s Tan Zhongyi. The complete results and pairings are listed below:
- Open Section (Round 12): Andrey Esipenko 0.5–0.5 R Praggnanandhaa, Matthias Blümbaum 0.5–0.5 Fabiano Caruana, Javokhir Sindarov 0.5–0.5 Hikaru Nakamura, Wei Yi 0.5–0.5 Anish Giri
- Women’s Section (Round 12): Anna Muzychuk 0.5–0.5 Aleksandra Goryachkina, Vaishali Rameshbabu 0–1 Zhu Jiner, Divya Deshmukh 0–1 Tan Zhongyi, Bibisara Assaubayeva 1–0 Kateryna Lagno
- Open Section (Round 13): Wei Yi vs Andrey Esipenko, Anish Giri vs Javokhir Sindarov, Hikaru Nakamura vs Matthias Blümbaum, Fabiano Caruana vs R Praggnanandhaa
- Women’s Section (Round 13): Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Anna Muzychuk, Kateryna Lagno vs Divya Deshmukh, Tan Zhongyi vs Vaishali Rameshbabu, Zhu Jiner vs Aleksandra Goryachkina
What to Watch Next
All eyes will be on Vaishali as she attempts to regroup and regain her form in the final rounds. The competition remains fierce, and the championship is still within reach for several players in the Women's section.