R Vaishali (Photo by Niki Riga)
NEW DELHI: A round-robin format like the Candidates was always going to have a fair share of surprises for every player, and India’s Vaishali Rameshbabu was served a cold one on Sunday evening at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Cyprus.Just twenty-four hours earlier, we were celebrating her tactical masterclass over Aleksandra Goryachkina. It was indeed a win where her swiftness in trapping the Russian’s rook gifted her a commanding one-point lead.On Sunday, that lead vanished into thin air. China’s Zhu Jiner, playing with the black pieces, produced a clinical performance to stun Vaishali. And in doing so, she secured a 2-0 head-to-head sweep against the Chennai-born Grandmaster in this tournament.
The loss has blown the Women’s section wide open and left the top of the table in a dead heat.How Vaishali lost her way against Zhu JinerThe encounter began with Vaishali opting for the Advance Variation of the Caro-Kann Defence (1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5). By move five (5. cxd3), Vaishali accepted a structurally compromised position with doubled pawns, a double-edged decision aimed at controlling the centre.However, Jiner’s response was patient and surgical.The tension escalated in the middlegame as Vaishali struggled to find a concrete plan to break Black’s coordination. The Chinese Grandmaster began exerting pressure on the queenside, and by move 24, the cracks in White’s position became craters. Jiner’s 24… Nb4 was a particularly stinging blow, forcing Vaishali into a defensive crouch.In a desperate bid to complicate matters, Vaishali tried a central break with 27. d5, but Jiner’s 27… Nxd5 only simplified the path to victory for Black.The endgame was a harrowing affair for the Indian fans. After the precise 30… Rg4, Jiner began a relentless march of her h-pawn.The game reached its terminal point when Jiner promoted a pawn on g1; following the exchange, the final move 39… Nc3 left Vaishali with no choice but to resign as her position disintegrated.With this defeat, Vaishali remains on 7/12, but she is no longer alone at the summit. Zhu Jiner has now joined her at the top with the same score, setting the stage for a grandstand finish in the final two rounds.It was a sombre day for the Indian contingent. Divya Deshmukh, also playing with White, suffered a similar fate, falling to China’s Tan Zhongyi.Open Section: Sindarov nears the crownWhile the Women’s section is defined by high-wire intrigue, the Open section is nearing a foregone conclusion. Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov played out a measured draw against Hikaru Nakamura.
Javokhir Sindarov (Image: X)
When chess returns to Mediterranean shores at the Candidates after a rest day on Monday, Sindarov will only have to play out a draw to officially be crowned the challenger to D Gukesh later this year.India’s R Praggnanandhaa fought hard but could only manage a draw against Andrey Esipenko.ALSO READ: Javokhir Sindarov, D Gukesh’s likely World C’ship challenger, cracks code for sponsorship woes in chessFollowing a rest day, the players will return for Round 13 on April 14. For Vaishali, the mission is herculean. She must regroup and find the form. The lead may have vanished, but the championship is still very much a fight to the finish.FIDE Candidates Round 12 Results – April 12, 2026Open Section (Round 12)Andrey Esipenko 0.5–0.5 R PraggnanandhaaMatthias Blübaum 0.5–0.5 Fabiano CaruanaJavokhir Sindarov 0.5–0.5 Hikaru NakamuraWei Yi 0.5–0.5 Anish GiriWomen’s Section (Round 12)Anna Muzychuk 0.5–0.5 Aleksandra GoryachkinaVaishali Rameshbabu 0–1 Zhu JinerDivya Deshmukh 0–1 Tan ZhongyiBibisara Assaubayeva 1–0 Kateryna LagnoFIDE Candidates Round 13 Pairings – April 14, 2026Open Section (Round 13)Wei Yi vs Andrey EsipenkoAnish Giri vs Javokhir SindarovHikaru Nakamura vs Matthias BlübaumFabiano Caruana vs R PraggnanandhaaWomen’s Section (Round 13)Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Anna MuzychukKateryna Lagno vs Divya DeshmukhTan Zhongyi vs Vaishali RameshbabuZhu Jiner vs Aleksandra Goryachkina