Candidate Chess: R Pragnananandhaa squandered his best chance to win. Chess news.

As such, players like Pragnandha need to capitalize on winning opportunities to stay within touching distance of the leader. Friday presented one such opportunity. Facing Andre Espinco, who is a winless soul in the tournament, the Indian had the advantage of playing with the white pieces, which gave him the initiative to move forward first and dictate the flow of the game.Espinco, who is ranked 2698 and is known for making occasional mistakes under pressure, is among the lower-ranked players in the Elite Eight Grandmaster lineup. Playing with the Whites on the back of a rest day, Praganandha looked good from the first move, especially against an opponent many consider to be the weak link in the field.As the game began, the 20-year-old opted for a ratty opening. By move 10, both players have exchanged a knight and a pawn. Pragnananandhaa’s 12.Ba6 was followed by a return of 19.Bd3, indicating a lack of clear attacking possibilities. Given his reputation as one of the toughest attacking players on the circuit with white pieces, it was particularly surprising to see Pragnandha struggle to make any meaningful progress.With either side managing to create meaningful breakthroughs, either on the flanks or through the centre, the game quickly went into the balance.Early exchanges remained the only significant material trades, and with very little imbalance on the board, neither player pushed for complications.Ultimately, the triple repetition ended the game in a draw after 31 moves, which would have felt like a lost opportunity for a Praganananda player.FIDE Candidate Round 5 Results – 3 April 2026

FIDE Candidate Round 6 Pairing – 4 April 2026

The situation was more difficult for her elder sister Vaishali Ramesh Babu, who suffered her first defeat in the women’s candidate campaign against China’s Zhu Jin.Playing with the black pieces, Vaishali faced a king’s pawn opening which soon turned into the Italian game.She opted for the Two Knights Defence, a system she had played in her previous round against Alexandra Gurichkina, although Vaishali was then with the white pieces.This time, Zhou consistently built pressure, making progress on the queenside while also improving his pace coordination in the center. Two minor mistakes by Vaishali (15…f5 and 16…Nc5) undermined his position, giving Zhu a slight but lasting advantage.As pieces were gradually exchanged, Vaishali’s king became increasingly exposed in the center, especially after 27.Ke6.Although the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss winner did not make any major mistakes, the position became increasingly difficult to defend. With Zhou maintaining better harmony and protecting the king, Vaishali was eventually forced to abdicate on the initiative of 62.Meanwhile, in the women’s section, second Indian Divya Deshmukh held off Tan Zongi in a hard-fought draw with the black pieces. The game, a Queen’s Gambit Declined, lasted 45 moves and featured significantly more activity than the Pragnanandaa contest in the open section.Divya tried to create an imbalance in the middle game with active rook, knight and queen moves while putting pressure on the ten position. However, with neither side able to convert their chances into a decisive breakthrough, the players eventually agreed to split the point. Given the strength of his opponent and his defeat in the previous round against Zhu Jin, the draw will serve as a morale-boosting result for the young Indian.Also read: R. Praganandha’s Hidden Second: The Creation of VaibhavsuriFIDE Women’s Candidates Round 5 Results – 4 April 2026

FIDE Women’s Candidates Round 6 Pairing – 4 April 2026