Javokhir Sindarov chose a cautious approach, drawing his game against Hikaru Nakamura this afternoon. With two rounds remaining, he moves one step closer to winning the Candidates and earning the right to challenge Gukesh for the title. The rest of the games also ended in draws, although Anish Giri came very close to defeating Wei Yi.
In the women’s section, Zhu Jiner made a strong statement by winning over Vaishali with the black pieces in an impressive game, moving into a tie for the lead. Bibisara Assaubayeva also secured a victory over Kateryna Lagno, narrowing the gap, while Anna Muzychuk missed a major opportunity against Aleksandra Goryachkina. With just two rounds to go, the tournament remains wide open.
A full report will be available shortly.
FIDE Candidates Round 12 results
Andrey Esipenko ½–½ Praggnanandhaa R
Matthias Bluebaum ½–½ Fabiano Caruana
Javokhir Sindarov ½–½ Hikaru Nakamura
Wei Yi ½–½ Anish Giri
Standings after Round 12 – FIDE Candidates Tournament:
1. Sindarov – 9 points
2. Giri – 7
3. Caruana – 6
4-6. Bluebaum, Nakamura, Wei Yi – 5½ points
7. Praggnanandhaa – 5
8. Esipenko – 4½
FIDE Women’s Candidates Round 12 results
Anna Muzychuk ½ – ½ Aleksandra Goryachkina
Vaishali Rameshbabu 0–1 Zhu Jiner
Divya Deshmukh 0–1 Tan Zhongyi
Bibisara Assaubayeva 1–0 Kateryna Lagno
Standings after Round 12 – FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament:
1-2. Vaishali, Zhu Jiner – 7 points
3-4. Assaubayeva, Muzychu – 6½
5-6. Goryachkina, Lagno – 5½
7-8. Divya, Tan Zhongyi – 5
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, Niki Riga
