Women’s Candidates 2024: With two round remaining, China’s Tan and Lei occupy top spots

Unlike their male counterparts, the players in the FIDE Women’s Candidates 2024 have far less excitement to offer as the event heads to the finish line.

With two rounds remaining, the two Chinese in the hunt, leader Tan Zhongyi and defending champion Lei Tingjie, are looking to keep the title between them, thereby ensuring that the World title also stays in China since the defending champion Ju Wenjun is their compatriot.

Tan enjoys a half-point lead over Lei and is at least 1.5 points ahead of the rest of the field. Such being the scenario, the two Chinese look worthy of occupying the top two spots.

Tan, who has never trailed in the run-up to the 13th round and enjoys a half-point lead over Lei, will be up against a twice-beaten top seed Aleksandra Goryachkina while Lei plays a resurgent R. Vaishali when the action resumes on Saturday.

READ | Candidates 2024: Thrilling finale awaits; Little to choose among the three leaders

In the final round, Lei plays K. Humpy, while Tan is drawn to play a struggling Anna Muzychuk.

With Goryachkina, Humpy, Kateryna Lagno and Anna failing to find their form in the event while lower seeds Vaishali and Nurgyul Salimova playing to their strengths, Tan and Lei have smoothly stayed ahead and now look to finish the job in style.

Though the title race has already lost much in terms of excitement, if the results come against the run of play in the last two rounds, there could be some thrill in the offing. But there is no denying that Tan and Lei have looked the best so far and richly deserve to finish ahead of the rest.

13th round pairings (Indians unless stated): K. Humpy (6)-Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 4.5); R. Vaishali (5.5)-Lei Tingjie (Chn, 7.5); Tan Zhongyi (Chn, 8)-Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE, 6); Nurgyul Salimova (Bul, 4.5)-Kateryna Lagno (FIDE, 6).