PAPHOS – The 2026 Candidates Tournament kicked off with high drama in Cyprus, as India’s R Praggnanandhaa delivered a masterclass in precision to defeat Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri. While the young prodigy secured a full point, his sister R Vaishali and teammate Divya Deshmukh navigated tense battles to start their campaigns with draws.
Pragg’s Killer Instinct
Four hours into his opening round, R Praggnanandhaa proved why he is a perennial threat to the world’s elite. Seizing on a critical oversight by Giri on the 36th move—where the Dutchman misplaced his knight—Pragg spent over three minutes calculating a lethal rook maneuver.
The resulting deflection forced a winning passed pawn, and despite Giri’s attempts to labor through the endgame, the result was inevitable. Fresh off a two-month hiatus, Pragg’s victory marks a perfect start to his journey to challenge world champion Gukesh.
Vaishali’s Great Escape
In the women’s section, R Vaishali faced a grueling afternoon against Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva. After falling into severe time pressure—down to just 71 seconds against Assaubayeva’s 22 minutes—Vaishali appeared to be on the brink of defeat.
However, a critical error by the Kazakh sensation allowed Vaishali to simplify the board by trading off the queens. The game eventually settled into a deadlock with opposite-colored bishops, allowing the Indian to escape with a vital half-point.
Divya Holds Her Ground
Divya Deshmukh, India’s latest female Grandmaster, showed no signs of nerves despite a last-minute change in the lineup following Koneru Humpy’s withdrawal. Facing former World Championship challenger Anna Muzychuk, Divya utilized the Scotch Game to dictate a rapid pace that left her opponent struggling with the clock.
Though Divya held a significant 40-minute time advantage at one stage, the game moved into a balanced endgame after a flurry of exchanges. A threefold repetition eventually secured a draw, rounding out a solid opening day for the Indian contingent.
Key Results – Round 1:
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Open Section: R Praggnanandhaa (IND) 1 – 0 Anish Giri (NED); Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) 1 – 0 Andrey Esipenko (RUS).
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Women’s Section: R Vaishali (IND) ½ – ½ Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ); Divya Deshmukh (IND) ½ – ½ Anna Muzychuk (UKR).
