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Vaishali Stumbles, Women's Candidates Race Wide Open
12 Apr
Summary
- Vaishali lost to Jiner Zhu, creating a tie for the lead with two rounds left.
- Assaubayeva's win positions her just half a point behind the leaders.
- Sindarov is on track for a dominant victory in the Open section.
The Women's Candidates tournament experienced a significant shift as R Vaishali fell to Jiner Zhu, tightening the race for the challenger's spot with two rounds left. Vaishali's aggressive strategy backfired, resulting in her second defeat against Zhu, and both players now share the lead with 7 points from 12 games. Aleksandra Goryachkina secured a draw against Anna Muzychuk, who missed a critical opportunity.
Bibisara Assaubayeva, now just half a point behind the leaders, defeated Kateryna Lagno, keeping her firmly in contention. In the Open section, Javokhir Sindarov is nearing a commanding victory, drawing with world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura and accumulating 9 points from 12 games. India's R Praggnanandhaa's draw against Andrey Esipenko diminished his chances for this cycle.
