New Delhi: The opening day of the 2026 FIDE candidates at the Cape St Georges Hotel and Resort in Paphos, Cyprus proved that while the rule of chess often predicts a draw when both sides play perfectly, the reality on the board can be far more volatile. Of the eight games in the Open and Women’s categories, only three produced decisive results, all in the Open section, headlined by a tactical masterclass from India’s R Praganandha.The first blood of the day was drawn by Uzbek 2025 FIDE World Cup winner Javakhir Sandrov, who defeated Andrey Espenko of Russia. Elsewhere, in a marathon American derby, Fabiano Caruana outlasted Hikaru Nakamura in Sunday’s longest game.However, the spotlight belonged to Chennai-born Praganananda, who signaled a strong start to his campaign by eliminating Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri with clinical precision.
On the women’s side, caution was the order of the day as all four games ended in draws. Russian GM Alexandra Gorichkina came closest to victory against compatriot Katerina Ligno before an error in the middle game forced a split point.On the Indian boards, Divya Deshmukh and Ramesh Babu Vaishali came out with the white pieces against Anna Muzichak and B. Besara Asaobaifa respectively, ensuring that the Indian contingent remained unbeaten.FIDE Candidates Round 1 Results – 29 March 2026Fabiano Caruana 1-0 Hikaru NakamuraPraganandha R 1-0 Anish GiriJavakhir Sundarov 1-0 Andrey EspinkoMathias Bluebaum 0.5-0.5 V YiFIDE Women’s Candidates Round 1 Results – 29 March 2026Divya Deshmukh 0.5-0.5 Anna MuzichakVaishali Ramesh Babu 0.5-0.5 Bibisara AssaubayevaAleksandra Goryachkina 0.5-0.5 Kateryna LagnoZhu gen 0.5-0.5 tan zhongiMatch of the Day: R Praganandha vs Anish GiriWhile the Nakamura-Caruana clash was the longest of the day, chess experts were more appreciative of the high-precision battle between Praganandha and Giri.“With the correct 80th move …Kc7!, Hikaru could have actually drawn the game,” veteran GM Praveen Thapse told TimesofIndia.com. “So, it can no longer be called the best game of the day. It is undoubtedly Pragnamandha vs Gary. The accuracy level is very high.”Pragnandha opened with a king’s pawn, meeting Gary’s Sicilian defense with an aggressive grand prix attack. The 20-year-old Indian showed deep preparation, sacrificing a pawn on the 10th move and making a decisive move on the 11th.Thapse explained, “Parganandha played a grand prix attack, and on the 11th move, Praganandha played interestingly.
“A better variation by Anish Giri, probably on the 11th move, would have led to an almost equal position, but a slight mistake by Anish on the 11th move enabled Praganandha to gain a slight advantage, which he brought home from the 12th move with very good technical play.”Green’s response, 11…Be6, allowed Praganandha to capture the white square bishop (13. Bxe6), tilting the structural advantage in India’s favor.Although the queens were replaced by move 25, the endgame became a nightmare for the Dutchman.
The final blow came on the 36th move when Gray played 36…Nf6. Working with the a- and b-file pawns might have offered a stronger defense, but Giri’s exceptional oversight allowed Praganandha’s rook and h-file pawns to tighten the trap.Gray resigned on the 51st initiative.Thapse added, “Pragnandha’s technique was excellent in this game.
Praganandha finished the game with an astonishing 97.3% accuracy compared to Gary’s 92.5%, proving that the best margins dictate results at this level.The Indian sensation will look to carry that momentum into Monday’s second round, where he will face China’s Wei Yi.FIDE Candidates Round 2 Schedule – 30 March 2026Andre Espinco vs. Hikaru NakamuraAnish Giri vs Fabiano CaruanaV. Yee v. R. PragananandaJavakhir Sundrov vs. Matthias BilbomFIDE Women’s Candidates Round 2 Schedule – 30 March 2026Anna Muzyczyk vs. Tan ZhongyiKatrina Ligno vs Zoe JennerBibisara Assaubayeva vs. Aleksandra GoryachkinaDwaya Deshmukh Vs Vaishali Ramesh Babu
