FIDE Candidates 2026 R11: Vaishali beats Goryachkina to gain a full point lead, Sindarov still going strong

by Devansh Singh - 12/04/2026

Vaishali Rameshbabu scored an important victory in the 11th round of FIDE Women's Candidates 2026 to gain a full-point lead over Zhu Jiner and Anna Muzychuk. Vaishali is on 7/11 points while Jiner and Muzychuk are on 6/11 points. In the 11th round of the FIDE Candidates 2026, there was only 1 decisive result in 8 games, including both sections. In the Open Section, all 4 games ended in a draw. Tournament leader Javokhir Sindarov drew his game against Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri also drew his game against Andrey Esipenko, and is still trailing Sindarov by 2 points. Praggnanandhaa missed some opportunities in a clear winning position against Matthias Bluebaum, and the game ended in a draw. Hikaru Nakamura and Wei Yi also played a solid draw. Round 12 will start on 12th April at 15:45 Local Time/18:15 IST. Photos: Michal Walusza, Niki Riga/ FIDE

Can Vaishali make it this time?

Vaishali Rameshbabu started the FIDE Women's Candidates 2026 with 4 draws, then lost her 5th round against Zhu Jiner. She was on 2/5 points. Vaishali bounced back after that loss and scored 4 wins and 2 draws in the next 6 rounds to score 5/6 points. Now, after 11 rounds of play, Vaishali is leading the Women's section with a full-point lead over Zhu Jiner and Anna Muzychuk. In the 12th round, Vaishali will play against Zhu Jiner. If she keeps her form going, she can clinch that spot for the World Championship Title.

Vaishali Rameshbabu is leading with 7/11 points

Open Section

With 3 rounds to go in the tournament, Javokhir Sindarov is in a clear 2-point lead over Anish Giri. In the 11th round, all 4 games ended in a draw, but not without action on the board. Praggnanandhaa was clearly winning against Matthias Bluebaum, but could not find the best sequence and drew the game. It was a long battle between Javokhir Sindarov and Fabiano Caruana, where Sindarov was looking in some trouble but managed to hold the game for a draw. It was a solid draw between Anish Giri and Andrey Esipenko. Hikaru and Wei Yi played a quick draw.

With 3 rounds to go, can Anish make it?

R Praggnanandhaa vs Matthias Bluebaum (0.5-0.5)

Unlike the first clash between Praggnanandhaa and Bluebaum in the FIDE Candidates 2026, it was a complex battle filled with tactical opportunities. Praggnanandhaa was in a great position after the opening, playing with the white side. Pragg got multiple chances against Bluebaum, but eventually the game ended in a draw

Bluebaum played 17...Qxd4, and here white got an interesting idea starting with Qf5, with the idea of some sacrifices, as h6 from black is not working anymore. Praggnanandhaa played 18.Rae1, and allowed 18.h6.

Praggnanandhaa again missed a nice chance here; he could have played Rxf7, with a clearly winning position, but instead he played 34.Qf3 and eventually the game ends in a draw.

R Praggnanandhaa vs Matthias Bluebaum (0.5-0.5)

Fabiano Caruana vs Javokhir Sindarov (0.5-0.5)

After getting into some trouble against Fabiano Caruana in the 11th round of FIDE Candidates 2026, Sindarov managed to come out of it by staunch defence and held a draw.

Fabiano Caruana vs Javokhir Sindarov (0.5-0.5)

Strong defence by Sindarov helped him holding the position

Check out the Interview with Sindarov and Caruana | Video: ChessBase India

Check out the game below

Anish Giri drew against Andrey Esipenko from a slightly better position, but there was no clear chance for Anish to increase his advantage.

Hikaru Nakamura vs Wei Yi (0.5-0.5)

Round 11 Results | Graphic: FIDE

Standings after round 11 | Graphic: FIDE

Round 12 Pairings:

Replay games of the Open section

Women's Section

It was an important day for Indian Camp and Indian fans as Vaishali Rameshbabu won her game against Aleksandra Goryachkina to increase her lead by 1 point over Zhu Jiner and Anna Muzychuk. Zhu Jiner drew against Divya Deshmukh, where Divya had a slightly better position in the endgame; the game eventually ended in a draw. After a long struggle in a complicated Rook endgame, Tan Zhongyi drew against Bibisara Assaubayeva! Anna Muzychuk and Kateryna Lagno made a solid draw.

Vaishali Rameshbabu is the player the entire country should follow in the last 3 rounds of the FIDE Candidates 2026

Aleksandra Goryachkina vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (0-1)

The first encounter between Aleksandra Goryachkina and Vaishali Rameshbabu in round 4 ended in a draw, and the game of round 11 was also heading towards it, but Goryachkina blundered and got her rook trapped. This win helped Vaishali get a full point lead with 3 rounds to go.

Goryachkina played 30.Bc4 is expecting a trade of minor pieces. Vaishali played a simple retreating move 30.Bc6 and the rook on e5 is suddenly tapped. There is no way white can defend that rook, and that's what happened in the game. Vaishali got the exchange and won the game smoothly after that.

Aleksandra Goryachkina vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (0-1)

Watch the final moments of the game, a special interview with Vaishali, and her meeting with the fans!

Zhu Jiner vs Divya Deshmukh (0.5-0.5)

Tan Zhongyi vs Bibisara Assaubayeva (0.5-0.5)

White to play, find the only winning move

Kateryna Lagno vs Anna Muzychuk (0.5-0.5)

Round 11 Results | Graphic: FIDE

Standings after round 11 | Graphic: FIDE

Player of the day | Graphic: FIDE

Round 12 Pairing

Replay games of the Women's section

Photo Gallery: ChessBase India, FIDE

Most expressive Chess Player??

Anna Volkova

Fans during round 11

Mukhiddin Madaminov is the second of Sindarov

Ian Nepomniachtchi is helping Anish Giri for the Candidates 2026, and he is here in Cyprus

Masterclass by GM Harshit Raja

Fans in line for Vishy's Sign and Photograph

Vaishali is here in the media room for the Interview

Arbiters of FIDE Candidates 2026

Catch ittttttt!

Daily Trivia: Guess the player

Go Hikaru!!!

Go Anish!!!!

Sindarov in the broadcast with Peter and Jan

Hikaru and his expressions!!

Videos:

In the 11th round of the FIDE Candidates 2026, Hikaru Nakamura drew his game against Wei Yi. After the game, we caught up with him for a short interview - Hikaru talks about the game and his next game with Sindarov.

Watch the final moments of the game, a special interview with Vaishali, and her meeting with the fans

Anish Giri drew against Andrey Esipenko in Round 11 of the FIDE Candidates 2026. After the game, we had a short interview with Anish - he spoke about the game, Sindarov's game, against Fabiano, and yet another spicy take!

Live Stream

Watch Live Stream by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal from Cyprus | Video: ChesBase India

Pairings: Round 12

Graphic: FIDE

Venue: Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, Cyprus

Official FIDE partner for Candidates 2026 | Photo: FIDE Chess

The multi-award-winning Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort has been selected by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) as the ideal destination to host the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, an event of historic and international significance. This selection represents the highest recognition both for Cyprus and for Cap St Georges Hotel& Resort, affirming the prestige, reliability, and organizational excellence required to host a world-class chess tournament. Surrounded by landscaped gardens with centuries-old olive trees, the resort reflects the island’s character through refined architecture and well-designed spaces, with a strong focus on privacy, comfort, and attentive service.

Both tournaments are held side by side at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Cyprus, a five-star coastal venue near Paphos. The resort offers a calm and professional setting for elite competition, with the playing hall, accommodation, and preparation areas located within the same complex, allowing players to focus fully on the event. Photo Gallery of Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort

Enjoy an amazing venue tour of the FIDE Candidates 2026 in Cyprus, happening at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Paphos. Sagar and Amruta give an extensive tour. Enjoy!

Schedule and Format

Each tournament features eight of the world’s strongest players competing in a double round-robin format over fourteen rounds of classical chess. All the games will start at 15:30 Local Time/18:15 IST

Key details and Information

Two tournaments will be held side by side – the (Open) FIDE Candidates Tournament and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.

Format: In both the Open and the Women’s, the eight qualified players will compete in a double round-robin tournament, consisting of 14 rounds.

Time control: The games will be played with a time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 41.

Prize fund: The minimum prize fund for the event stands at a record €1,000,000.

Tie-breaks: In the event of a tie for first place after 14 rounds, a playoff will be held to determine the winner who qualifies for the World Championship Match, which will take place in November 2026.