Cyprus: India’s young chess star Divya Deshmukh produced a sensational performance to defeat former world championship challenger Anna Muzychuk in Round 8 of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, climbing into joint lead in the Women’s section.
Playing with the black pieces, Divya fought back from a slightly inferior position and showed remarkable resilience in a marathon battle lasting more than five hours. Her persistence paid off when Muzychuk blundered in the endgame, allowing the Indian to convert the advantage and seal a crucial victory.
With the win, Divya moved to 4.5 points after eight rounds, joining a tightly packed group at the top. China’s Zhu Jiner, Muzychuk, Russia’s Kateryna Lagno and India’s R Vaishali are all level on points, setting up an exciting finish with six rounds remaining.
Vaishali maintained her steady campaign by holding Bibisara Assaubayeva to a draw with the black pieces, keeping herself firmly in contention for the title.
Round 8 – Women’s Results
Divya Deshmukh beat Anna Muzychuk
Kateryna Lagno beat Aleksandra Goryachkina
Zhu Jiner beat Tan Zhongyi
Bibisara Assaubayeva drew R Vaishali
Meanwhile, in the Open section, India’s R Praggnanandhaa suffered a setback after losing to Anish Giri with the black pieces. The defeat leaves Praggnanandhaa three points behind tournament leader Javokhir Sindarov, who played out a draw with Andrey Esipenko.
In other key matches, Hikaru Nakamura defeated Fabiano Caruana, while Wei Yi shared the point with Matthias Blübaum.
Sindarov leads the Open standings with 6.5 points, having won five of his first eight games, and looks in commanding form.
Source: ESPN
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