FIDE Candidates 2026 R2: Divya misses a chance against Vaishali, all games end in a draw

by Devansh Singh - 30/03/2026

It was a peaceful day at the FIDE Candidates 2026 as all 8 games ended in a draw. Divya Deshmukh was clearly better against Vaishali Rameshbabu, but she missed the winning idea, and the game ended in a draw. Zhu Jiner also missed her chance against Kateryna Lagno, and Lagno managed to draw her game. In the Open section, Javokhir Sindarov had a slightly better position against Matthias Bluebaum, but that game also ended in a draw. Overall, it was a solid day at FIDE Candidates 2026, and players are not taking any unnecessary risks this early on. Round 3 will start on 31st March at 15:45 Local Time/18:15 IST. Photos: Michal Walusza, Yoav Nis/ FIDE

Calm before the Storm?

The Candidates 2026 started with 3 decisive results in round 1, where R Praggnanandhaa, Fabiano Caruana, and Javokhir Sindarov scored their first wins against Anish Giri, Hikaru Nakamura, and Andrey Esipenko, respectively. But today all the players played some solid chess, avoided unnecessary risks, and drew their games. Although there were some interesting battles and games in the Women's section, the final result was a draw in all of them.

Divya missed a huge chance against Vaishali | Photo: Michal Walusza

Open Section

After a fiery first round, it was a peaceful round 2 at the FIDE Candidates 2026. All four games ended in a draw, with their fair share of interesting moments!

Mood Today..... | Photo: Michal Walusza

Wei Yi vs R Praggnanandhaa (0.5-0.5)

Praggnanandhaa played the French against Wei Yi, and showed impressive preparation just like Round 1 - taking an almost 1 hour advantage on the clock! Pragg's position was slowly getting better, but he missed a key move to increase the pressure. Wei Yi, as sharp as he is, quickly found a way to untangle and went on to hold a draw.

Wei Yi vs R Praggnanandhaa (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Andrey Esipenko vs Hikaru Nakamura (0.5-0.5)

Andrey Esipenko managed to put some pressure on Hikaru Nakamura in the endgame, but it was not enough; Hikaru defended well, and the game ended in a draw after a long battle.

Andrey Esipenko vs Hikaru Nakamura (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Anish Giri made a relatively short draw against Fabiano Caruana to score his first points | Photo: Michal Walusza

Javokhir Sindarov had a slightly better position against Matthias Bluebaum, but that game also ended in a draw | Photo: Michal Walusza

Round 3 Pairings:

Matthias Blübaum vs Andrey Esipenko

R. Praggnanandhaa vs Javokhir Sindarov

Fabiano Caruana vs Wei Yi

Hikaru Nakamura vs Anish Giri

Replay games of the Open section

Women's Section

After 2 rounds of play, the FIDE Women's Candidates 2026 has yet to see a decisive game; all 8 games have been drawn so far. But that hardly means a lack of excitement- in fact, one of the most exciting games of the tournament so far was played today between Divya Deshmukh and Vaishali Rameshbabu!

Divya Deshmukh vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (0.5-0.5)

Both players were under serious time trouble - and then Vaishali made a tactical mistake. The refutation was very difficult to find in such low time! Divya calculated it all correctly, but Vaishali was one step ahead - she found a beautiful Queen sacrifice which Divya had missed, and forced a draw soon!

White to play, find the winning move

Divya played 37.Qg3 here and allowed 37.Rxc5 with an interesting idea. Check out the game below to see some beautiful sacrifices

Divya Deshmukh vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Michal Walusza

What just happened in this absolutely incredible all-Indian Clash between Divya Deshmukh and Vaishali Rameshbabu in Round 2 of the FIDE Candidates 2026? Watch this video to find out! | Video: ChessBase India

Zhu Jiner perhaps had an even bigger chance to win today against Kateryna Lagno with the Black pieces. But one mistake, and it all turned - Kateryna found a nice Rook sacrifice to force a perpetual, and the game ended in a draw. | Photo: Yoav Nis

Kateryna Lagno vs Zhu Jiner (0.5-0.5)

In this position, Zhu Jiner had a massive advantage, but it slipped as she played 28...Qb4, allowing Rxe6 followed by perpetual checks.

Bibisara Assaubayeva drew against Aleksandra Goryachkina | Photo: Michal Walusza

Tan Zhongyi drew against Anna Muzychuk | Photo: Michal Walusza

Round 2 Result | Graphic: FIDE

Standings after round 2 | Graphic: FIDE

Round 3 Pairings:

Vaishali Rameshbabu vs Anna Muzychuk

Aleksandra Goryachkina vs Divya Deshmukh

Zhu Jiner vs Bibisara Assaubayeva

Tan Zhongyi vs Kateryna Lagno

Replay games of the Women's section

Photo Gallery: ChessBase India, FIDE

A room filled with spectators | Photo: Michal Walusza

Viswanathan Anand joined the official commentary panel with Jan and Peter | Photo: Michal Walusza

Good hair day?? | Photo: Michal Walusza

Doctor Bluebaum!!! | Photo: Michal Walusza

Wait, What??? | Photo: Michal Walusza

Viswanathan Anand played the ceremonial move on the board of Divya and Vaishali | Photo: Michal Walusza

When you want a screen to find the best move ;) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Post-match interview by Seine Zachary AKA Chessnerd with Pragg and Wei Yi | Photo: Michal Walusza

World Championship spot is the main goal, but the trophy looks tempting too | Photo: Michal Walusza

My eyes are on you | Photo: Michal Walusza

Anna Muzychuk giving autographs | Photo: Michal Walusza

Chief Arbiter: Panagiotis Nikolopoulos | Photo: Michal Walusza

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

Pairings: Round 3

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.