Cyprus: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa began the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 in emphatic fashion, defeating Dutch star Anish Giri with the white pieces to register a commanding opening-round victory.
Meanwhile, compatriots Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali settled for draws in the women’s section.
Praggnanandhaa displayed sharp preparation right from the opening, seizing control of both the position and the clock. His advantage steadily grew through the middlegame, with the turning point arriving on move 30 when he played a brilliant bishop manoeuvre to e1 — a move hailed as a stroke of genius by former world champion Viswanathan Anand during live commentary.
The move triggered a collapse in Giri’s defensive setup. Six moves later, a decisive error by the Dutchman accelerated the endgame, allowing Praggnanandhaa to methodically dismantle the position. Giri resigned on move 51, giving the Indian an early psychological edge in a field packed with elite contenders.
Praggnanandhaa is set to face China’s Wei Yi in Round 2, this time with the black pieces.
Open Section – Round 1 Results
R Praggnanandhaa beat Anish Giri (1–0)
Fabiano Caruana beat Hikaru Nakamura (1–0)
Matthias Bluebaum drew with Wei Yi (0.5–0.5)
Javokhir Sindarov beat Andrey Esipenko (1–0)
Divya, Vaishali Begin with Draws
In the women’s competition, Divya Deshmukh had promising chances against Anna Muzychuk after gaining an early initiative.
However, a decision to capture a pawn instead of simplifying the position allowed equality, and the game ended in a threefold repetition.
Vaishali endured a tense battle against Bibisara Assaubayeva. After briefly allowing her opponent an opportunity in the middlegame, Vaishali regained balance when the advantage slipped away, with both players agreeing to a draw on move 40.
All games in the women’s section ended in draws, with Alexandra Goryachkina drawing against Kateryna Lagno, and Zhu Jiner sharing points with Tan Zhongyi.
India’s strong presence across both sections keeps hopes high as the Candidates tournament gathers momentum, with Praggnanandhaa’s victory providing an early statement of intent.
Source: ESPN
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