FIDE Chess in Education Commission (EDU) courses April 2026
Dear Chess Friends, FIDE’s Chess in Education Commission continues to accelerate its provision of training for Lecturers and Teachers of Educational Chess, offering a series of high-level online and in-person opportunities in spring 2026. The Preparation of Lecturers (PoL) course leads to the FIDE title of Lead School Instructor (LSI). It is intended primarily for those who will train teachers, helping to expand the global community of educators capable of teaching chess in an educational way. The Preparation of Teachers (PoT) course leads to the FIDE title of School Instructor (SI). This 3-day (15-hour) training equips participants with pedagogical methods, digital tools, and practical strategies for teaching chess as an educational tool. The schedule of the FIDE EDU upcoming courses is below: To join, please register via the following links: 3rd Arabic PoT online course – April 3-5Register: https://cloud.fide.com/s/6rMJGDNzFAMxkPP 7th Russian PoT course in Kazakhstan, Astana – April 7-9Register: +7 777 1688 188 (WhatsApp) 12th POL online course – April 11-12Register: https://cloud.fide.com/s/i5HX9QeY5JwHD39 36th PoT online course – April 17-19Register: https://cloud.fide.com/s/AeoT8Bp3TNDMSHT 2nd Vietnamese PoT course in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh – April 25-26Register: tungchessvn@gmail.com Our dedicated Chess in Education website has further details: edu.fide.com/
Rest day activities at the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026
During the first rest day the intensity of the competition gave way to a more relaxed atmosphere. Top contenders took the opportunity to step away from the board and recharge by means of a variety of activities. Among the most distinctive experiences was that of GM Andrey Esipenko, who, joined by his family, participated in a hands-on workshop to learn how to prepare traditional Cypriot halloumi cheese. Alongside him was GM Anna Muzychuk, who also took part in the activity. Guided by local artisans, they explored the intricate process of curdling, shaping, and cooking the cheese, gaining insight into a culinary tradition deeply rooted in Cypriot culture. Meanwhile, other players opted for more familiar forms of relaxation. Some headed to the courts for friendly games of paddle, while others maintained their routines with gym sessions or enjoyed peaceful strolls along the Mediterranean coastline. Round 5 will be played tomorrow April 3, at 3.30 pm local time. Round 5 pairings – FIDE Candidates Tournament: Praggnanandhaa R – Andrey EsipenkoFabiano Caruana – Matthias BluebaumHikaru Nakamura – Javokhir SindarovAnish Giri – Wei Yi Round 5 pairings – FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament: Aleksandra Goryachkina – Anna MuzychukZhu Jiner – Vaishali RameshbabuTan Zhongyi – Divya DeshmukhKateryna Lagno – Bibisara Assaubayeva Official website: https://candidates2026.fide.com/ Event photo gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fide/ Live daily broadcast with GM commentary: https://www.youtube.com/@FIDE_chess Written by IM Michael A. Rahal (Cyprus) Photos: Michal Walusza, Yoav Nis
FIDE publishes Technical Commission Manual
FIDE is pleased to announce the publication of the FIDE Technical Commission Manual (FTM), now available on the official website of the FIDE Technical Commission. The publication provides a dedicated reference point for the technical framework governing FIDE competitions and related activities. The importance of the Manual is reflected in the current General Regulations under C.02. Chess Equipment Technical Specifications, Rules and Regulations, effective March 1, 2026. Those regulations state that, complementary to the FIDE Handbook, the FIDE Technical Commission has compiled the TEC Manual containing comprehensive information, including definitions, processes and clarifications essential for understanding and implementing FIDE technical regulations. In practical terms, the Manual supports stakeholders by bringing together guidance connected to the implementation of current rules on chess equipment, certified and endorsed equipment, Tournament Handler Programs, Swiss pairing systems, and tie-break procedures. The current Handbook sections expressly cover these areas, including endorsed Tournament Handler Programs and the latest play-off and tie-break regulations. FIDE invites federations, arbiters, organisers, manufacturers, service providers and software developers to consult the FIDE Technical Commission Manual alongside the current FIDE Handbook. By consolidating key technical guidance in one place, the Manual strengthens clarity, consistency and transparency in the application of FIDE regulations worldwide. For any inquiries or further information, please contact Hendrik du Toit at secretary.tec@fide.com.
FIDE Candidates: Javokhir Sindarov records third win as Anna Muzychuk moves into joint lead
Javokhir Sindarov scored his third win of the tournament this afternoon, taking a major step toward winning the FIDE Candidates after defeating Fabiano Caruana with impressive opening preparation. In the FIDE Women’s Candidates, Zhu Jiner and Anna Muzychuk regained momentum with important victories. Muzychuk now shares the tournament lead with Bibisara Assaubayeva. Let’s take a closer look on how the action unfolded this afternoon at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort Roman Dubov, Chairman of Total Sports Investments, opened the game this afternoon for Sindarov in his game against Caruana while Tshepiso Lopang, Continental FIDE President for Africa played the ceremonial first move for Assaubayeva in her game against Tan Zhongyi. The game between the two tournament leaders was, as expected, the highlight of the round. Playing with the black pieces, Fabiano Caruana opted for the solid Queen’s Gambit Accepted, but was caught off guard by Javokhir Sindarov’s move order and emerged from the opening with a slightly inferior position. Playing at a brisk pace – Sindarov notably spending much of his time pacing along the playing hall – the Uzbek prodigy confidently followed his home preparation, quickly building a significant advantage on the clock. The critical moment came on move 17, when Caruana played 17…f5. Reflecting in the post-game press conference, Sindarov explained: “I remembered that in my opening files the pawn on d4 had to be taken, but I wasn’t sure about the exact lines. After 18.Bc4, Black’s position is already very unpleasant.” By around move 20, Caruana was already under serious pressure. “I kind of got caught in the opening with 16…Rg8, and I went wrong,” he admitted. Commentator Jan Gustafsson added: “He is in serious time trouble and also has a bad position.” Sindarov continued energetically, converting his advantage with a direct attacking approach. He expressed satisfaction with his play afterward: “Maybe I made some mistakes in the middlegame, I’m not sure, but I think I played a very good game. I was lucky to get this opening,” he said, before leaving to sign autographs for the many fans in attendance. In his game against Anish Giri, Andrey Esipenko adopted an uncompromising approach, choosing a secondary line against the Najdorf Sicilian, perhaps in an attempt to catch his opponent off guard. However, Giri proved well prepared and responded with an ambitious king march across the board following Esipenko’s striking 10.Nf5. In the commentary booth, Peter Svidler praised the concept: “Esipenko is using the geometry of the board to continue the attack.” Giri later explained the idea behind his opening choice: “Black has a million ways to handle this line, but I was hoping no opponent would think I am bold enough to go for this variation. My king is in greater danger, but I have some long-term assets.” Although Esipenko appeared to be playing in the right spirit, he went astray with 18.Qxd3. Instead, 18.Rxd3 would have preserved dynamic chances and likely led to a more balanced position with attacking possibilities. Reflecting on this moment, Esipenko was candid: “I saw 18…Ba4, but I thought I would find something, as 18.Qd3 looks more logical than 18.Rd3. I didn’t think it was a critical moment, and I was surprised that I couldn’t find anything afterward.” Giri did not take long to consolidate his advantage and ultimately converted with his extra material. He expressed satisfaction after the game: “I am happy to win today and to reach 50% after four rounds–lately I haven’t been starting very well.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTivLbanAXA The contrast in Hikaru Nakamura’s time management is striking: a player renowned for completing high-accuracy games in a matter of minutes spent nearly forty-five minutes on the opening phase. The game against Wei Yi ultimately featured the offbeat Dragondorf Sicilian, a variation that neither player likely anticipated in their pre-game preparation. Nakamura appeared satisfied with the outcome of the opening, obtaining a sound position with the black pieces while maintaining a time advantage heading into the middlegame. The game remained relatively balanced until the critical moment on move 40, when Wei Yi committed what could have been a decisive error. However, Nakamura was unable to find the most precise continuation in a double-rook endgame despite being a pawn up, allowing the game to eventually simplify into a draw. In his post-game interview with Charlize van Zyl, Nakamura reflected on the missed opportunity: “It was a very interesting game. I took some liberties in the opening, and around the time control it should have been a draw, but it seems that there was a winning opportunity which I missed.” The fourth game of the round was a solid and uneventful affair. Playing with the black pieces, R Praggnanandhaa opted for the reliable Semi-Slav Defence, which soon transposed into an isolated queen’s pawn structure. Matthias Bluebaum responded by simplifying along the c-file, initiating a series of exchanges. Although he carried the bishop pair into the endgame, Praggnanandhaa’s well-placed knight on e4 ensured that the position remained comfortably balanced. Following further simplifications, the players agreed to a draw by threefold repetition on move 37. In the Women’s Candidates, two games ended decisively. Anna Muzychuk defeated Kateryna Lagno in a finely played positional game that ultimately culminated in tactical complications. “I chose this line to avoid some concrete variations,” Muzychuk explained after the game. Lagno defended resourcefully under pressure for much of the encounter but faltered on move 28. At this point, Muzychuk had sacrificed a piece for two pawns and a strong initiative. Lagno could have opted to exchange queens, entering a slightly worse but defensible endgame, even if it required returning the extra material. Instead, she chose to continue with 28…exd4, after which 29.Qxd4 left White with a decisive attack, and the game concluded just three moves later. The other decisive result saw Zhu Jiner prevail with the black pieces over Divya Deshmukh – an important victory that keeps her within reach of the tournament leaders. It is difficult to pinpoint a single decisive mistake, but Divya’s position gradually deteriorated from
Qualifiers confirmed for FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2026-2027
The new FIDE Women’s Grand Prix season will see 20 top women players, each playing in three out of six tournaments, each featuring a 10-player round robin, fighting for the top two places leading to the 2028 Women’s Candidates Tournament. With final standings determined on cumulative series of points and not just raw scores, the qualification model mixes merit and consistency. The 20 players are selected via several routes, with many names already known: – FIDE Women’s World Championship Match 2025 participants: GMs Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi – Top two from the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Series 2024-25: GMs Zhu Jiner and Aleksandra Goryachkina – Top three from the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025: GMs Divya Deshmukh, Humpy Koneru, Lei Tingjie. – Top three from the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss 2025: GMs Vaishali R, Kateryna Lagno, and Bibissara Assaubayeva. – One spot for the FIDE Women’s Events 2024-25 (the highest ranked player excluding those who have qualified for WGP Series via other paths): GM Anna Muzychuk – Three spots via Standard Rating in the April 2026 FIDE Rating List: IM Polina Shuvalova, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, and IM Carissa Yip – Six nominations by organisers of each of the events in the series (to be determined) Polina Shuvalova, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Carissa Yip are the newest qualifiers, based on the FIDE April rating list. The three rating qualifiers reached the spots not just by having the highest rating available, but by playing in at least three events, including at least two individual, from a specified series of competitions between May 2025 and April 2026. Changes compared to the 2024-2025 edition The most significant change in the new circuit compared to the 2024-2025 edition is in qualification pathways: event-based performance is given more prominence than pure rating. While the 2024-2025 cycle saw four rating spots, the new edition has three and includes a stricter and more structured event-performance pathway than before. Consistency with the prize fund The tournament prize table and WGP points are unchanged. Each tournament features a minimum prize fund of 80,000 EUR, with a series-end pot of 120,000 EUR, funded by 20,000 EUR from each of the six organisers. The winner of each tournament gets 130 WGP points as well as 18,000 EUR, followed by 13,000 EUR for second and down to 3,500 EUR for 10th place. FIDE President Dvorkovich: A flagship project promoting women’s chess “The Women’s Grand Prix is very popular with women players as it gives them more opportunities to play in serious competitive events and promote themselves. The Grand Prix series has been one of the flagship projects for FIDE in promoting top-level women’s chess,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said. “With six tournaments taking place around the world, this helps spread the word about women’s chess and its importance, and we’re very proud of the work we’ve done on this and plan to do more in the future,” Dvorkovich added. The FIDE Women’s Grand Prix began in 2009 as one of the most significant events in the world championship qualification cycle. Initially launched as a six-tournament circuit, the number of tournaments was later reduced to five and then four before returning to six events in 2024–2025. China’s Hou Yifan dominated the first three seasons, before being succeeded by Ju Wenjun (the current women’s world champion), then Aleksandra Goryachkina and Kateryna Lagno. The 2024–2025 edition was again won by a Chinese player, with Zhu Jiner taking the crown. The dates and venues for the 2026-2027 tournaments will be announced in due course. Regulations for FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2026-2027 (PDF)
FIDE April 2026 rating list published
The April 2026 rating list was primarily shaped by the Prague International Chess Festival, Aeroflot Open, Agzamov Memorial, KazChess Masters and team competitions across Europe. The top 10 Open and Women sections saw a couple of notable changes: Nodirbek Abdusattorov gained 9 rating points and climbed to fourth position following his triumph at the Prague International Festival – Masters, while Divya Deshmukh earned 13 points in the Challengers section and returned to the top 10 Women. Biggest gains in top 100 Open and Women Sivanandan, Bodhana FM ENG 2366 (+98) Nurman, Alua WGM KAZ 2443 (+65) Klek, Hanna Marie WGM GER 2360 (+47) Atwell, Rose FM USA 2390 (+36) Eljanov, Pavel GM UKR 2682 (+23) Kulon, Klaudia IM POL 2372 (+22) Navara, David GM CZE 2643 (+17) Pranav, V GM IND 2657 (+16) Lee, Alice IM USA 2415 (+16) Divya Deshmukh GM IND 2510 (+13) British chess phenom Bodhana Sivanandan tops the list following her excellent performance (+98 rating points) at the 39th Festival International des Jeux de Cannes. The 11-year-old from London broke into the top 100 Women and rocketed to the number one English female spot. Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz Alua Nurman delivered strong results in both the Prague International Chess Festival Open and Agzamov Memorial, earning her 65 rating points and a career-high 25th position. Hanna Marie Klek and Pavel Eljanov overperformed in various team competitions in Germany, both significantly boosting their ratings, while Klaudia Kulon (pictured below) shone in the Schachturnier zum Weltfrauentag 2026 women’s tournament, gaining 17 points. Photo: Michal Walusza Rose Atwell continues her rapid ascent in the rankings, adding another 36 rating points to her tally in March following her strong showing in the 2026 Saint Louis Masters. Pranav V lifted the trophy at the KazChess Masters and reached a career-high rating of 2657, while David Navara delivered a solid performance on home turf, earning 17 points. Alice Lee triumphed in the American Cup, achieving a career-high rating of 2415.
Caruana, Sindarov, Lagno, and Assaubayeva steal the spotlight at Cap St Georges
With impressive wins over Wei Yi and R Praggnanandhaa, both Fabiano Caruana and Javokhir Sindarov surged ahead of the field, staking an early claim in the tournament race. On 2.5 out of 3 points, they already lead by a full point over the rest, a significant margin, even though eleven rounds remain. The round marked a sharp contrast to the previous day’s quiet play, which saw eight draws. This time, the players delivered fighting chess filled with dynamic opportunities and high-level execution. In the women’s event, Kateryna Lagno scored a crucial victory over Tan Zhongyi in a chaotic encounter, propelling her into the tournament lead. She is joined at the top by Bibisara Assaubayeva, who defeated Zhu Jiner using an aggressive opening approach. This afternoon’s action unfolded at the luxurious Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, providing a stunning backdrop for high-stakes chess. Two ceremonial first moves added a touch of prestige to the round. Michael Khodarkovsky (FIDE Vice President) had the honour of opening the game for Fabiano Caruana in his clash against Wei Yi. Meanwhile, Dana Reizniece (Deputy Chair of FIDE Management Board) made the symbolic first move in the matchup between R Vaishali and Anna Muzychuk. While the clashes between Matthias Bluebaum vs Andrey Esipenko and Hikaru Nakamura vs Anish Giri remained completely balanced – both played with astonishing accuracy levels of 98–99% – the real fireworks in the FIDE Candidates Tournament came from the other two boards. A decisive miniature at this level is an exceptionally rare occurrence, but today Fabiano Caruana delivered exactly that, surging into the tournament lead with a crushing victory over Wei Yi. Opting for a highly ambitious and risky opening, Wei Yi sacrificed two full pawns in exchange for rapid development and attacking chances. Caruana, however, rose to the challenge and accepted the complications. Reflecting on the critical moments after the game, Caruana admitted: “I was tricked with the move order, I got something I didn’t want and then I had to decide between different lines. I knew that the plan Qa4–Ng5 existed but I couldn’t remember many details. The pawn sacrifices were unexpected, but I had to go for it.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89bYobRC8K4 However, Wei Yi admitted that things had already gone wrong early on: “I was out of the book after Qb5, but then I played terribly and blundered a piece.” Black was already under significant pressure, but the move 17…Ne5? turned a difficult position into a lost one (better was 17…Nf6 although, after 18.d4! Black’s position is no fun). After 18.Nxe5 Rxe5 19.Nd1!, White’s idea becomes crystal clear: there is simply no way to save the trapped bishop on h3. Faced with inevitable material loss and a collapsing position, Wei Yi had no choice but to resign. The other standout performer of the day was Javokhir Sindarov, who secured a crucial victory with the black pieces against Praggnanandhaa. Their encounter quickly spiralled into chaos, as Sindarov sacrificed a piece in the opening for two pawns and long-term initiative. While the soundness of the idea may be debatable, it created a highly complex and double-edged position that proved difficult for both players to navigate. Explaining his decision, Sindarov noted: “If I don’t take the pawn on b4 then I would be in trouble, so I thought it was the best option and that I would find something afterwards.” Despite the imbalance, Praggnanandhaa demonstrated remarkable resilience and managed to keep the position under control, at least until the clock became a factor. As time trouble set in, Sindarov seized his moment, capitalizing on the mounting pressure to convert the game and claim the full point. In the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, the games between Vaishali and Anna Muzychuk, as well as Aleksandra Goryachkina versus Divya Deshmukh, both ended in draws, but the nature of those draws could not have been more different. The Vaishali – Muzychuk encounter was a model of precision: highly accurate, deeply technical, and virtually error-free from start to finish. By contrast, the game between Goryachkina and Divya was a dramatic struggle. After more than fifty moves of relentless pressure in a typical Goryachkina grind, Aleksandra managed to secure an extra pawn and transition into a theoretically winning rook endgame. However, she ultimately erred and failed unable to convert her advantage, allowing Divya Deshmukh to escape “by the skin of her teeth.” The result served as yet another reminder of the old chess adage that “all rook endings are drawn.” It is worth noting that, in the final phase of the game, Goryachkina was also under significant time pressure. The two winners of the day in the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament were Kateryna Lagno and Bibisara Assaubayeva, who now share the lead. The encounter between Tan Zhongyi and Lagno was a wildly chaotic battle, with the advantage swinging multiple times. True to the old saying “whoever makes the penultimate mistake wins” it was Lagno who held her nerve at the critical moment and delivered a stunning finish. After 42.Qxd5? (better was42.Qxh5 giving up the queen but emerging slightly better) a brilliant, must-see combination followed. Lagno played 42…Nf4!, and after 43.exf4 Rh6+ 44.Kg3 Qd3+!, and White’s position collapsed. The key point is that White cannot interpose with the knight on f3 due to the hanging queen on d5. In the game, 45.Qf3 was tried, but it runs into the spectacular decisive blow 45…g4!! blow. After 46.Qxd3 Rh3#, it is checkmate. Reflecting on the dramatic turnaround, Lagno admitted in the press conference: “I was so disappointed that I even wanted to resign, but then I decided to fight on at least to move forty. However, I do have to improve my time management though.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDk7S0JaVpY The game between Zhu Jiner and Bibisara Assaubayeva was yet another highly complex and tactical battle, one that, in truth, could have gone either way. Assaubayeva once again demonstrated her strength as a counter-attacker. The moment she sensed an opportunity to turn the tables and target Zhu Jiner’s king, she launched a direct and energetic
Global launch: FIDE Preparation of Teachers Course for Women Around the World
As the global Chess Women’s Day Celebration 2026: Visible, Connected, Worldwide comes to a close, the FIDE Women’s Commission, in cooperation with the FIDE Educational Commission, is proud to mark this occasion with a meaningful and lasting initiative. Throughout the month of March, events held across the world have brought together girls and women in chess, strengthening visibility, connection, and a sense of global community. Building on this momentum, the two commissions now join efforts to launch the FIDE Preparation of Teachers Course for Women Around the World – a joint initiative designed not only to support women in chess today, but to help shape the future of the game. Because teachers shape generations. By empowering more women as chess teachers, we contribute to a more inclusive, balanced, and inspiring image of chess worldwide. The presence of female teachers and role models plays a vital role in how young players – especially girls – see themselves in the game, influencing participation, confidence, and long-term engagement. While the FIDE Educational Commission has long been delivering high-level training courses for chess educators, this marks the first edition specifically dedicated to women, creating a unique and supportive environment for their development. Organized within the framework of the Year of Chess in Education, the program introduces a series of online training courses aimed at preparing and developing women as chess teachers across different regions and languages. Course Structure1st Course May 8–10 Language: English Lecturer: Anzel Laubscher Schedule (CEST):• Friday: 16:00–19:00• Saturday & Sunday: 10:00–16:00Registration link: https://cloud.fide.com/s/QiibkJJwtjmAMbs 2nd Course June 5–7 Language: Arabic Lecturer: Mahmoud Roushdi Schedule (Cairo, UTC+3):• Daily: 17:00–22:00Registration link: https://cloud.fide.com/s/zqxESrwRqJ6PP8E 3rd Course July 3–5 Language: French Lecturer: Seddik Sidrine Schedule (CEST):• Friday: 15:00–20:00• Saturday & Sunday: 10:00–15:00Registration link: https://cloud.fide.com/s/BXp6FSJsd32fKQH 4th Course August 7–9 Language: Spanish Lecturer: Frank De La Cruz Schedule (Panama, UTC-5):• Friday: 17:00–20:00• Saturday & Sunday: 09:00–16:00Registration link: https://cloud.fide.com/s/JqpkeaaPYLPY7rP Participation Details Maximum 20 participants per course Maximum 2 participants per country, ensuring global representation Registration deadline: one week prior to each course The FIDE Women’s Commission is pleased to support this initiative through waiving participation fees for all attendees. Participants who successfully pass the exam will only need to pay their SI title fees if they wish to obtain the FIDE School Instructor title. This initiative reflects a shared commitment to long-term impact – not only increasing the number of qualified women chess teachers worldwide, but also helping shape a more diverse, inclusive, and representative future for chess. For further information, please contact: edu.courses@fide.com
Szymon Gumularz and Oliwia Kiolbasa win 2026 Polish Championship
GM Szymon Gumularz and IM Oliwia Kiolbasa are the newly crowned Polish chess champions, both claiming their maiden national titles. The 2026 Polish Chess Championship, featuring open and women’s sections, was held in Warsaw from March 22–30. Like the 2025 edition, the 2026 competitions were 10-player round-robins with classical time control, attracting the country’s best players. Gumularz (pictured below) made a spectacular start in the open event, notching up five consecutive victories that effectively settled the question of the eventual champion. Despite finishing with four draws, he confidently secured the title with a round to spare, scoring an impressive 7/9. Last year’s runner-up, GM Jakub Kosakowski, again claimed silver with 5.5/9, while Łukasz Licznerski edged out Paweł Teclaf and Radosław Wojtaszek to complete the podium (all three scored 5/9). Final standings – Open The women’s event proved much more tense competition that came down to the wire. Despite her first-round loss, Alicja Śliwicka reeled off three straight victories and led most of the tournament. Still, heading into the final round with 6/8, she could not feel safe as Kiolbasa was trailing her by just half a point. In a dramatic turn of events, Śliwicka lost to the 2025 champion Klaudia Kulon, while Kiolbasa pulled off a crucial victory over Maria Siekańska to capture the title with 6.5/9. Notably, the new champion finished with five consecutive wins. The top seed Alina Kashlinskaya, Monika Socko, and Śliwicka shared second place on 6/9, with Kashlinskaya and Śliwicka taking silver and bronze respectively on tiebreaks. Final standings – Women Photos: Polski Związek Szachowy
FIDE Candidates Round 2: A day of draws and moments of missed glory
After the tactical excitement of yesterday’s round, the players opted for a more technical approach this afternoon in the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026. As a result, all eight games ended in hard-fought draws, leaving the standings unchanged, with Fabiano Caruana, R Praggnanandhaa and Javokhir Sindarov leading the field on 1.5/2. In the Women’s FIDE Candidates Tournament, Divya Deshmukh and Zhu Jiner missed great opportunities to take the lead each blundering into tactical sequences against Vaishali R and Kateryna Lagno, respectively. All eight contenders are tied for the lead on 1/2. Viswanathan Anand, FIDE Deputy President, officially opened the second round by making the ceremonial first move in the all-Indian clash between Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali. After greeting both players, Anand played 1.c4 – the very move later chosen by Divya to begin the game. Clearly, being a five-time World Champion comes with its advantages when it comes to anticipating a grandmaster’s intentions. Playing with the black pieces, Fabiano Caruana opted for a rare move order in the Catalan, allowing Anish Giri to secure a slight edge, though not enough to seriously press for a win. “Anish is generally very well prepared in the openings, so I went for a rare line, but he was ready for it. I suffered a little, but I think I played accurately enough to neutralize the slight pressure he had,” Caruana explained in his post-game interview. Both players delivered an exceptionally precise performance, each achieving 98% accuracy without a single mistake. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bl2Ag1CvU8 Although Wei Yi made a slight inaccuracy in the main line of French Defence, Praggnanandhaa R was unable to fully capitalize. “I’ve played against the French recently, so it didn’t come as a big surprise. I think I got a good position and a time advantage in the opening,” Praggnanandhaa said after the game. Although he eventually managed to win a pawn, the Chinese grandmaster defended resourcefully, steering the game into an opposite-coloured bishop ending and comfortably securing the draw. The “#GreatBluebaumSweep” may have come to an end, but Matthias Bluebaum can still be satisfied with his start to the tournament. Two solid draws in the opening rounds suggest he has arrived in Cyprus with ambitions well beyond merely avoiding last place. “The Great Sweep was obviously a joke, but I’m definitely not unhappy at all with how the tournament has started,” he said with a smile before attending the local press duties. In today’s game, Bluebaum opted for a solid Petroff Defence against Javokhir Sindarov. The Uzbek grandmaster was unable to generate any serious chances, and a draw was agreed on move 42. Meanwhile, Andrey Esipenko pressed a slight but persistent edge against Hikaru Nakamura, even managing to win a pawn. However, Nakamura’s endgame defence proved impeccable: he found a precise way to simplify into a rook ending and held the position comfortably. Despite being the last game to finish, spectators remained fully engaged, following every move until the very end. The first game to finish in the Women’s FIDE Candidates Tournament was an uneventful draw between Anna Muzychuk and Tan Zhongyi, leaving both players on 50% after the first two rounds. The former Women’s World Champion opted for the ultra-solid Petroff Defence – a favourite at the elite level in China – successfully preventing Muzychuk from creating any real chances. A few minutes later, Aleksandra Goryachkina secured her second draw of the event with the black pieces against Bibisara Assaubayeva, improving on a recent game between Arjun Erigaisi and Shamsiddin Vokhidov, which had ended in a win for Erigaisi. Well prepared, Goryachkina chose a safe continuation in a complex middlegame, ensuring a solid result. Playing with the black pieces against Kateryna Lagno, Zhu Jiner obtained an advantage out of the opening after her opponent misplayed her preparation. Gradually improving her position, Zhu accumulated a significant edge and looked on course to claim the full point. However, in a highly complex position and despite being two pawns up, she blundered into a rook sacrifice that forced an immediate draw by perpetual check. Arguably, the clearest opportunity to score in this round fell to the young Indian World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh. After pressing throughout the game in a Carlsbad structure with the white pieces, she seemed on the verge of taking the lead in the event when disaster struck. Following a queen exchange with 37.Qg4!, Divya would have emerged with a clean extra pawn and excellent winning chances in the endgame. “I was not sure what to do after 37.Qg4: I thought my position was very bad,” admitted Vaishali after the game. Instead, Divya opted for 37.Qg3?, allowing 37…Rxc5 38.Qe5+ Kh7 39.Rb8 Rc1+ 40.Kh2. It appears that White is winning: the black queen is under attack, and mate on h8 is looming. However, Vaishali had foreseen a tactical resource Divya walked straight into: 40…Qxh3+! 41.gxh3 Nf3+, after which Black regains the queen and comfortably holds the resulting rook endgame. Both Divya and Vaishali later attended the official press conference, where they analysed this dramatic encounter in detail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHAjR2eY7iw&pp=0gcJCdsKAYcqIYzv The fun zone, hosted by FIDE presenter Angelika Valkova, featured a nineteen-board simul with former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. Kosteniuk dominated the exhibition, winning 18 games and losing only one. The lucky victor of the single win received a chess clock as a prize. Standings after Round 2 Round 3 will commence on March 31, at 3:30 pm (Cyprus) Round 3 pairings – FIDE Candidates Tournament: Matthias Bluebaum – Andrey EsipenkoPraggnanandhaa R – Javokhir SindarovFabiano Caruana – Wei YiHikaru Nakamura – Anish Giri Round 3 pairings – FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament: Vaishali Rameshbabu – Anna MuzychukAleksandra Goryachkina – Divya DeshmukhZhu Jiner – Bibisara AssaubayevaTan Zhongyi – Kateryna Lagno Official website: https://candidates2026.fide.com/ Event photo gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fide/ Live daily broadcast with GM commentary: https://www.youtube.com/@FIDE_chess Written by IM Michael A. Rahal (Cyprus) Photos: Michal Walusza, Yoav Nis