4 min readUpdated: Apr 6, 2026 07:08 PM IST
R Vaishali has emerged as the biggest Indian hope at the Candidates 2026 at the halfway stage of the tournament in Cyprus. With four points from seven rounds – two wins and four draws – she is within striking distance of the lead in the women’s tournament.
This marks a significant jump for Vaishali, who managed only 2.5 points after the first half of the 2024 Candidates in Toronto, a tally that included three losses, three draws, and a solitary win.
While luck has smiled on Vaishali in this event, she has also seized every half-chance that came her way, putting herself in a great position in this event.
Once she gains momentum, the Indian is difficult to stop. Her turnaround in Toronto, where she shook off a streak of four losses to win five consecutive games and eventually tie for second place, proves as much.
However, the most impressive run so far in the women’s Candidates belongs to Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk.
Her strong showing is even more remarkable given her last-minute addition to the event. She replaced India’s Koneru Humpy, who withdrew citing security and safety concerns amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, not far from Cyprus.
Sometimes, over-preparation for an event such as the Candidates can hinder performance. Mental blocks, performance pressure, and high expectations are common among top players. For a player like Muzychuk, who has been part of the elite for years, her late inclusion brought an element of surprise for her opponents while keeping her free from the weight of long-term expectations.
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The second Indian in the fray, Divya Deshmukh is currently part of a four-way tie on 3.5 points from seven rounds, alongside China’s Zhu Jiner and the Russian duo of Aleksandra Goryachkina and Kateryna Lagno.
While her defensive wall cracked against Zhu, Divya bounced back quickly against Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva. After the shock loss to Zhu, Divya adopted a risk-averse strategy against Tan Zhongyi to steady her campaign, before packing a punch against Bibisara in the sixth round.
That said, Divya has only herself to blame for sitting in the middle of the pack rather than at the top. She missed significant winning chances against Vaishali and Lagno. Against the latter, she manoeuvred herself into a nearly- winning middle-game position but failed to convert. Once she let Lagno off the hook, she never caught the Russian again. That game took nearly seven hours and 135 moves, yet all Divya could salvage was half a point.
While the chance against Vaishali wasn’t as clear, Divya still had a favourable position that could have tipped the game her way.
Despite these missed opportunities, Divya has played high-quality chess. The results haven’t come yet, but she can change the course in the second half, when she faces the same field with reversed colours.
Candidates 2026 leaderboard after 7 rounds
Women’s
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- 1 – Anna Muzychuk (UKR) – 4.5 points – 2 wins, 5 draws – 0 losses
- 2 – Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND) – 4.0 points – 2 wins, 4 draws – 1 loss
- 3 – Zhu Jiner (CHN) – 3.5 points – 2 wins, 3 draws – 2 losses
- 4 – Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE) – 3.5 points – 0 wins, 7 draws – 0 losses
- 5 – Kateryna Lagno (FIDE) – 3.5 points – 2 wins, 3 draws – 2 losses
- 6 – Divya Deshmukh (IND) – 3.5 points – 1 win, 5 draws – 1 loss
- 7 – Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) – 3.0 points – 1 win, 4 draws – 2 losses
- 8 – Tan Zhongyi (CHN) – 2.5 points – 0 wins, 5 draws – 2 losses
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