Giri Avenges Opening Loss to Praggnanandhaa in Candidates Revenge Match
In a dramatic turn of events at the Candidates chess tournament in Cyprus, Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri exacted revenge on Praggnanandhaa R during the eighth round on Tuesday. This victory came just two days after Giri had halted the four-game winning streak of runaway leader Javokhir Sindarov, showcasing his resilience and strategic prowess in the high-stakes competition.
Revenge and Spoilsport Define Eighth Round Action
The second half of the Candidates tournament proved to be a day of reckoning, with Giri surprising Praggnanandhaa to avenge his opening round defeat. Meanwhile, Hikaru Nakamura played spoilsport in the battle between the top two seeds, defeating Fabiano Caruana. In another notable result, Russia's lowest-seeded participant, Andrey Esipenko, handed Sindarov his second successive draw, adding to the tournament's unpredictability.
Divya Deshmukh's Marathon Victory Shakes Up Women's Section
In the women's section, Indian talent Divya Deshmukh, the Women's World Cup winner, delivered an electrifying performance by defeating leader Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine in a grueling 83-move contest that lasted over five and a half hours. Despite Muzychuk's initial upper hand, the 20-year-old Deshmukh displayed remarkable patience and skill to turn the tables, earning a crucial victory that propelled her into a shared lead.
Deshmukh now shares the top position with Anna Muzychuk, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Vaishali Rameshbabu, and Zhu Jiner, creating a tightly contested leaderboard. Earlier in the round, Zhu outplayed former women's world champion Tan Zhongyi in an all-Chinese match, while Goryachkina secured a win against Kateryna Lagno.
Vaishali's Missed Opportunity and Open Section Standings
Vaishali Rameshbabu, despite defending well with black pieces and having a winning moment when she was a pawn up against Kazakhstan's three-time women's world blitz champion Bibisara Assaubayeva, could not capitalize fully. The 74-move contest ended in a draw, denying Vaishali a chance to secure sole lead in the tournament. Had she converted this advantage, she would have emerged as the outright leader, highlighting the fine margins in elite chess.
In the Open section, Javokhir Sindarov maintained his lead with 6.5 points, while Anish Giri's victory allowed him to join Fabiano Caruana in second place with 4.5 points. This sets the stage for an intense final phase of the tournament, with players vying for qualification to the World Chess Championship.
