R Vaishali (Photo by Niki Rega)
New Delhi: The round-robin format, like the contenders, always had its fair share of surprises for every player, and India’s Vaishali Ramesh Babu was treated to a cool meal at the Cape St. Georges Hotel and Resort in Cyprus on Sunday evening.Just twenty-four hours ago, we were celebrating her tactical masterclass on Alexandra Gurichkina. It was indeed a win where his speed gifted him a commanding one-point lead in trapping the Russians.On Sunday, that lead disappeared into thin air. China’s Zhu Jin gave a clinical performance to surprise Vaishali playing with black pieces. And in doing so, he made a 2-0 head-to-head clean sweep against the Chennai-born grandmaster in that tournament.
The loss has blown up the women’s division and left the top of the table in the heat.How Vaishali lost her way against Zhu Jin.The encounter began with Vaishali choosing an advanced variation of the Caro Con Defense (1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5). By move five (5. cxd3), Vaishali accepts a structurally compromising position with doubled pawns, a double decision intended to control the center.However, Jenner’s response was patient and surgical.Tensions rose in the mid-game as Vaishali struggled to find a solid plan to break Black’s synergy. The Chinese grandmaster began to press the queenside, and by move 24, cracks in White’s position became pits. Jenner’s 24…Nb4 was a particularly hard blow, forcing Vaishali into a defensive crouch.In a desperate attempt to complicate matters, Vaishali attempted a main break with 27. d5, but Jenner’s 27…Nxd5 only eased the way to victory for Black.The final game was a tense affair for the Indian fans. Precisely after 30…Rg4, Jenner begins a relentless march of his pawns.The game reached its terminal point when Jenner promoted a pawn on G1. After the exchange, the final move 39… Nc3 leaves Vaishali with no choice but to resign after his position is cut off.With this defeat, Vaishali remains at 7/12, but she is no longer alone at the top. Zhu Jiner is now tied for the top spot with the same score, setting the stage for a grandstand finish in the final two rounds.It was a sad day for the Indian contingent. Divya Deshmukh, also playing opposite White, suffered a similar fate, falling to China’s Tan Zhongyi.Open Section: Sunroof is near the crown.While the women’s section is defined by high-wire intrigue, the open section is already nearing the end. Uzbekistan’s Javakhir Sundarov drew the match against Hikaru Nakamura.
Jawakhir Sandroof (Photo: X)
When chess returns to the shores of the Mediterranean on Monday after a rest day among the candidates, Sanderov will only need to play one draw to officially crown the challenger to de Gokche later this year.India’s R Praganandha fought hard but could only manage a draw against Andrey Espinko.Also read: D Gokesh’s potential World Cup challenger Javakhir Sundaroff breaks the code on sponsorship woes in chessAfter a rest day, the players will return for Round 13 on April 14. This mission is too big for Vaishali. He has to regroup and find form. The lead may be gone, but the championship is still very much a fight to the finish.FIDE Candidate Round 12 Results – 12 April 2026Open Section (Round 12)Andre Espinco 0.5–0.5 R PragnananandhaaMatthias Blübaum 0.5–0.5 Fabiano CaruanaSesame seeds 0.5–0.5 Hikaru NakamuraV Yi 0.5–0.5 Anish giriWomen’s Section (Round 12)Anna Mozychak 0.5–0.5 Alexandra GorichkinaVaishali Ramesh Babu 0-1 Zoo GenrDivya Deshmukh 0-1 Tan ZhongyiBibisara Assaubayeva 1-0 Kateryna LagnoFIDE Candidate Round 13 Pairing – 14 April 2026Open Section (Round 13)Wei Yi vs. Andre EspincoAnish Giri vs. Javakhir SandroofHikaru Nakamura vs. Matthias BlübaumFabiano Caruana v. R. PragananandaWomen’s Section (Round 13)Bibi Sara Esaubyeva vs. Anna MozychickKatrina Ligno Vs Divya DeshmukhTan Zongi vs Vaishali Ramesh BabuZhou Jnr vs. Alexandra Gurichkina
