FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, Round 9: Vaishali beats Divya to go joint-lead, Sindarov held to second straight draw
Grandmaster R. Vaishali beat compatriot Divya Deshmukh to move into joint lead with Zhu Jiner after Round 9 of the ongoing FIDE Candidates on Wednesday.
Zhu Jiner defeated Kateryna Lagno.
Vaishali capitalised on Divya’s central misjudgement and superior piece activity, with a decisive seventh-rank invasion proving the difference.
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Divya overcommitted with Nd3, conceding central control and creating a pawn weakness rather than a strength. Moves such as Rxc6 and Bc7 allowed Vaishali to activate her queen and rooks, taking control of the open files and diagonals.
From 28. Rb1 to Rb7, Vaishali invaded the seventh rank, targeted weak pawns, and, with Divya reduced to seconds on the clock, forced a resignation.
Javokhir Sindarov endured his second successive draw after letting a winning position slip against Matthias Bluebaum.
More to follow…
Published on Apr 08, 2026