New Delhi, 10 April (H.S.):

Azerbaijani grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov solidified his dominance in the open section of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 after defeating India's R Praggnanandhaa in round 10, amassing eight points to extend his lead to two full points at the Cap St Georges Resort in Cyprus.

Praggnanandhaa mounted a promising start but faltered on move 22 with Bd7, enabling Sindarov's incisive 23. Rf7 counterattack. Precise follow-ups dismantled Black's defenses, marking Sindarov's second victory over the Indian and quashing challengers' hopes. Draws in Giri-Nakamura, Esipenko-Bluebaum, and Caruana-Wei Yi preserved the Uzbek's buffer.

In the women's division, R Vaishali methodically neutralized Anna Muzychuk's threats to secure a draw, vaulting to six points and sole leadership. Divya Deshmukh, however, squandered a winning edge against Aleksandra Goryachkina under time pressure, conceding the full point. Lagno-Zhongyi ended level, while Bibisara Assaubayeva prevailed over Zhu Jiner.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar