Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali stayed firmly in contention for the title at the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 after holding China’s Tan Zhongyi to a hard-fought draw in the penultimate round on Tuesday.
Vaishali will head into the final round in joint lead, keeping her chances of clinching the top prize intact in what has turned into a tightly contested finish. The Indian had to dig deep after a difficult opening phase, where she was under pressure both on the board and on the clock. By move 25, Tan had built a clear advantage and appeared in control of the position.
However, the momentum shifted on move 26 when Tan made a crucial error, opting for a passive queen move instead of capturing a pawn that was on offer. The lapse allowed Vaishali to stabilise the position. From there, she played with accuracy and composure, gradually neutralising the threats before steering the game towards a draw by threefold repetition on move 34.
While Vaishali ensured she remained at the top, Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva blew the title race wide open with an authoritative win over Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk. Assaubayeva seized the initiative early and maintained control through the middlegame, converting her advantage with precision to join Vaishali on 7.5 points.
Another decisive result came in the clash between China’s Zhu Jiner and Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina. Playing with the white pieces, Zhu suffered a setback as Goryachkina produced a strong performance to secure victory. The loss saw Zhu slip from the top, leaving her half a point behind the joint leaders heading into the final round.
The final day promises a tense finish with multiple players still in contention. Vaishali will take on Kateryna Lagno with the white pieces in Round 14, a match-up that could prove decisive in determining the winner. Assaubayeva faces India’s Divya Deshmukh with black, while Zhu will also play with the black pieces against Muzychuk.
Vaishali and Assaubayeva share the lead on 7.5 points, followed by Zhu on 7. Muzychuk, Lagno and Goryachkina are all on 6.5 points and remain within striking distance if results go their way in the final round.
Round 13 Results (Women):
Bibisara Assaubayeva beat Anna Muzychuk;
Kateryna Lagno beat Divya Deshmukh;
Tan Zhongyi drew with R Vaishali;
Aleksandra Goryachkina beat Zhu Jiner.
Standings after Round 13:
- R Vaishali 7.5
- Bibisara Assaubayeva 7.5
- Zhu Jiner 7
- Anna Muzychuk 6.5
- Kateryna Lagno 6.5
- Aleksandra Goryachkina 6.5
- Tan Zhongyi 5.5
- Divya Deshmukh 5
