R Vaishali kept India’s title hopes alive with a composed win over compatriot Divya Deshmukh in Round 9 of the Women’s Candidates Chess Tournament, moving into a share of the lead with China’s Jiner Zhu.
Vaishali, who had built her campaign steadily, is now finding momentum at the right time. Against Divya, she showed patience in the early phase before gradually taking control, converting her advantage with precision to reach 5.5 points after nine rounds. With five rounds still to play, she is now firmly in contention for the title.
Having shifted gears after a cautious start, Vaishali is beginning to look one of the most dangerous players in the field. Her latest victory not only strengthens her position but also keeps Indian interest alive heading into the business end of the tournament.
The leaderboard, however, remains tightly packed. Former leader Anna Muzychuk is just half a point behind after a draw with Zhongyi Tan. Despite the defeat, Divya stays within striking distance on 4.5 points, level with Kateryna Lagno and Bibisara Assaubayeva, keeping the race wide open.
Zhongyi Tan, a former world champion, is yet to find consistent form and continues to struggle for momentum.
In the open section, Anish Giri revived his campaign with a fine win over pre-tournament favourite Fabiano Caruana to move to 5.5 points, though he still trails leader Javokhir Sindarov.
Sindarov maintained his grip on the top spot after holding Matthias Bluebaum to a hard-fought draw, taking his tally to 7 points from nine rounds. With three remaining games as White, the Uzbek Grandmaster has put himself in a strong position to push for the title.
Elsewhere, R Praggnanandhaa was unable to convert a promising middlegame advantage against Wei Yi, with their game still in progress.
Round 9 results:
Open: Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs Wei Yi (CHN) – ongoing; Anish Giri (NED) beat Fabiano Caruana (USA); Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) drew with Matthias Bluebaum (GER); Hikaru Nakamura (USA) vs Andrey Esipenko (RUS) – ongoing.
Women: R Vaishali (IND) beat Divya Deshmukh (IND); Jiner Zhu (CHN) beat Kateryna Lagno (RUS); Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) drew with Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ); Anna Muzychuk (UKR) drew with Zhongyi Tan (CHN).
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