Updated : Apr 16, 2026 11:58 IST
elcome to Sportstar’s coverage of the fourteenth round of the FIDE Candidates 2026 tournament happening in Cyprus on Wednesday.
R Praggnanandhaa (White) vs Hikaru Nakamura (Black)
R Vaishali (White) vs Lagno Kateryna (Black)
Divya Deshmukh (White) vs Bibisara Assaubayeva (Black)
Vaishali triumphs in the Women’s Candidates 2026, praised by Anand for her remarkable composure and determination.
April 15, 2026 22:36
R Vaishali wins the Women's Candidates 2026
Grandmaster R Vaishali became the first Indian to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates title, after she beat Russia’s Kateryna Lagno in the final round on Wednesday.
April 15, 2026 22:33
The big news is here, read the story below:
Here’s a look at the full list of FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament winners over the years after R. Vaishali won the 2026 edition.
April 15, 2026 22:14
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali is just few moves away from being crowned Candidates winner.
April 15, 2026 21:45
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali used the check on h4 to force Lagno’s king into a more passive position at g8, but then immediately swung her queen back to e4.
April 15, 2026 21:42
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali plays g5, but Lagno plays Qb6 b2 bishop again.
April 15, 2026 21:38
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali has dropped her bishop back to b2. Lagno immediately pounced with Ra2, invading White’s space.
April 15, 2026 21:36
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali has doubled her rooks on the d-file with Rcd5, and Lagno plays Queen C6 shifting her queen to attack the c-pawn.
April 15, 2026 21:32
Vaishali vs Lagno
Lagno declines an immediate recapture to play - Qh7, By sliding queen to the edge of the board, she creates a direct battery on the h-file and targets the now-weakened kingside.
April 15, 2026 21:28
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali has captured the pawn on g4, opening the f-file and drastically changing the pawn structure around her king.
April 15, 2026 21:19
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali plays Rook c5 and Lagno plays h5 in move 31.
April 15, 2026 21:15
Vaishali vs Lagno
Lagno has ignored the queen trade offer on e4 and doubled her rooks on the a-file with Rfa8.
April 15, 2026 21:14
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali has shifted her rook to c4, that defends the queenside while preparing to swing across the fourth rank. Lagno’s plays Qe4 with centralizing move.
April 15, 2026 21:08
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
This match ends in a draw.
April 15, 2026 21:05
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya has captured the pawn on e6, Bibisara responds with Rf6, swinging her rook into the game to attack the knight and put pressure on the f-file.
April 15, 2026 21:04
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya’s knight is strong on c7, but Bibisara has ignored the threat to her rook on d8 to jump her knight to g4.
April 15, 2026 20:59
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali resolves tension on a-file by dropping the bishop back to b2, Lagno immediately responds with Ra5, shifting her rook from the b-file to the a-file.
April 15, 2026 20:57
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya plants the knight on c7 and creates a direct threat to the rook on d8 and further coordinates with her rook on b7 ot dominate the seventh rank.
April 15, 2026 20:55
Vaishali vs Lagno
Lagno declinedqueen trade. Vaishali repositioned to d3 and Lagno has swung her queen back to b6. This creates a double attack on the knight ond5.
April 15, 2026 20:54
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
A massive number of exchanges. Divya eliminated the strong bishop on b7, and the Queens have been traded off the board.
April 15, 2026 20:51
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya plays Rook takes b7 instead.
April 15, 2026 20:50
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Will Divya play Knight to D6, that engine considers the best move in this position.
April 15, 2026 20:48
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya plays the best move of Rook to d7 - she has ignored the loss of the exchange to plant a strong piece on the 7th rank.
April 15, 2026 20:46
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya captures on e5, reclaiming material and opening lines, but Bibisara ignores the immediate threat to counter-strike with Nxf2. This move forks the Queen on e3 and the Rook on d1.
April 15, 2026 20:44
Vaishali vs Bibisara
Vaishali moves Queen to e3, she is offering a trade and if Lagno accepts, the tension on a-file is released and pressure on a4 bishop eased.
April 15, 2026 20:37
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya retreats the bishop to g2, likely intending to shore up her kingside and prepare to challenge the powerful knight on e4. Bibisara responds with Bb7 placing the bishop on the long diagonal.
April 15, 2026 20:35
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali plays Rook e4 and Lagno plays Queen a7.
April 15, 2026 20:31
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali has reinforced her center with 21. Rhe1, bringing her last inactive piece into the game and providing more protection to the e-pawn. Lagno plays Rook b5.
April 15, 2026 20:23
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Total change: After Bibisara centralised the queen, Divya forced the rook trade on the d-file. Bibisara has just played Nxe4, snatching a pawn and creating a massive tactical problem.
April 15, 2026 20:14
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya has jumped her knight to b5, placing it on a powerful outpost. Bibisara has retreated her queen to e7.
April 15, 2026 20:09
Vaishali vs Lagnoo
Vaishali has captured a pawn on a4 with her bishop. Lagno has immediately responded by centralising her queen to c4, applying pressure on Vaishali.
April 15, 2026 20:03
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya has launched her h-pawn to h4, starting a kingside expansion and signalling attacking intent. Bibisara responds with Kh8, moving the king into the corner to get off the g-file.
April 15, 2026 19:59
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali brings the Bishop back to c3 and a4 played by Lagno.
April 15, 2026 19:56
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali plays Bishop to d4.
April 15, 2026 19:54
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali takes the bishop with a takes b3, and Lagno plays a5.
April 15, 2026 19:29
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya has moved her Queen to e3 following Bibisara centralisation of the b rook to d8. Divya is looking to reorganise while Bibisara prepares pressure down the newly opened d-file.
April 15, 2026 19:23
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali plays - King to b1, she steps off the semi-open c-file and tucks the king away from potential checks or tactical ideas on the a2-g8 diagonal.
April 15, 2026 19:20
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali’s Bb3 is a classic safety move in the Yugoslav Attack. She’s reinforcing her b2-pawn and providing extra protection to her centralised knight on d5.
Lagno plays Qc8 and she is repositioning the queen to eye the c-file and potentially prepare for an exchange of bishops with Be6.
April 15, 2026 19:10
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya has decided to eliminate the monster knight on e5, but the price is a massive structural shift. Bibisara then plays dxe5, and has fixed her pawn structure in the centre.
April 15, 2026 19:08
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya’s - Bf4 is a developing move. She is centralising pieces and looking to close down on dark squares, eyeing the d6-pawn. Bibisara’s response Ne5, is a bold statement of intent.
April 15, 2026 19:06
Vaishali vs Lagno
Lagno plays Rb8, and is immediately targeting the b2-pawn and preparing to use the semi-open b-file to generate pressure against Vaishali’s queenside castling.
April 15, 2026 19:05
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali is now a pawn up. Vaishali’s exd5, followed by Nxd5, has transformed the structural battle into a pure tactical calculation. Vaishali plays Bishop takes d5 in 14th move.
April 15, 2026 19:01
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya made a major decision by playing dxe6. By releasing the central tension, she has permanently changed the pawn structure. Bibisara’s recapture with the f-pawn is double edged: Bibisara now opens f-file for her rook and her position of King is very smooth.
April 15, 2026 18:57
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali has reached crossroad: she can trade on e6, which would double Lagno e-pawns but give her more control over the d5-square.
April 15, 2026 18:56
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali’s Bc4 in 11th move is direct challenge to the centre, and Lagno’s Be6 is offering a trade of bishops to blunt White (Vaishali) pressure.
April 15, 2026 18:53
Vaishali vs Lagno
Lagno has not made any moves for a while now after Vaishali’s Bishop c4.
April 15, 2026 18:48
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Bibisara is trying to chip away at the centre (e6), she is challenging Divya’s d5-pawn directly. She knows she can’t just sit and be squeezed; she has to open lines.
April 15, 2026 18:41
Sindarov finishes Candidates unbeaten
Also, the first result of the day came a bit early when Sindarov drew quickly against Wei Yi. Sindarov remains unbeaten in Candidates 2026.
April 15, 2026 18:36
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Bibisara plays Queen c7 and it is holding move.By placing the queen on c7, she’s not only adding defence to her structure but also eyeing the c-file for future counterplay.
April 15, 2026 18:34
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya is squeezing the opponent, she plays O-O And C4 has clamped down on the centre. She has established a massive space advantage.
April 15, 2026 18:28
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
It is a masterclass in prophylactic play from Divya. By playing a4, she is clamping down on the queenside to prevent Bibisara from expanding with b5, a typical plan for Black in these structures.
April 15, 2026 18:24
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya has opted for a Catalan-style setup early on with g3, but after Bibisara’s c5, we’ve transposed into a Benoni-style structure. By pushing d5, Divya is grabbing space in the centre and asking Bibisara how she intends to break it down.
April 15, 2026 18:22
Vaishali vs Lagno
Vaishali plays long castle - 0-0-0, and she signalled her intent to storm the kingside, but Lagno’s d5 is the classic strike in the center when attacked on the flank response.
April 15, 2026 18:19
Vaishali vs Lagno
Be3 by Vaishali and she is following the most aggressive blueprint known to White in the sicilian dragon.
April 15, 2026 18:18
Vaishali vs Lagno
We have a Sicilian Dragon! By playing g6 by Lagno, she has thrown down the gauntlet.
April 15, 2026 18:16
Vaishali vs Lagno
We have a Sicilian Defense on the board. This is a high-stakes choice from Lagno; by opting for d6, she’s likely inviting the Najdorf or Dragon variations.
April 15, 2026 18:13
Round 14 next
Divya Deshmukh has reached the board for her clash against Bibisara, who is also here.
April 15, 2026 18:10
Players are arriving for Round 14
Kateryna Lagno is here at the hall for her match against Vaishali.
April 15, 2026 18:10
How can Bibisara win the title
If Bibisara beats Divya, and Vaishali loses/draws against Lagno, Bibisara wins the title.
If Bibisara draws against Divya and Vaishali loses to Lagno, Bibisara is the champion only if Zhu Jiner draws/loses against Anna Muzychuk. If Zhu wins, Bibisara advances to the tiebreaks against the Chinese GM.
If Bibisara and Vaishali both win, they go into tiebreaks.
April 15, 2026 18:06
Unlucky second half for Divya Deshmukh
Despite a strong start where the Indian GM briefly held a share of the joint lead after Round 8, Divya endured a difficult second half, losing several crucial matches toward the end of the tournament.
April 15, 2026 17:59
Does Zhu Jiner have a chance
Anna Muzychuk, who entered the tournament as a replacement for Koneru Humpy, will take on Zhu Jiner, who is in title contention.
April 15, 2026 17:51
Will Sindarov’s help propel Bibisara to the World Title
April 15, 2026 17:48
Vishy Anand's pick
In a video posted by FIDE, five-time World Champion, GM Viswanathan Anand was seen picking D Gukesh over Javokhir Sindarov for the World Chess Championship title.
April 15, 2026 17:46
FIDE Grand Swiss 2027 will take place in Isle of Man
April 15, 2026 17:44
Divya Deshmukh vs Bibisara
Divya takes on Bibisara and aims for a victory to end her campaign on a good note, and her win could also help Vaishali win the title today.
April 15, 2026 17:41
Read how Vaishali can win the title today
Grandmaster R Vaishali is within reach of becoming the first Indian to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates title, heading into the final round on Wednesday.
April 15, 2026 17:35
Tiebreaks if needed tomorrow
If both Vaishali and Assaubayeva win their respective matches, they will head to a playoff tiebreaker on Thursday. Click here to read more
April 15, 2026 17:34
Big day for R Vaishali
If Vaishali beats Lagno Kateryna and Bibisara Assaubayeva draws or loses, Vaishali wins the tournament and will become the first Indian to win the women’s section.
April 15, 2026 17:32
Women's section pairings for today
Anna Muzychuk — Zhu Jiner
Aleksandra Goryachkina — Tan Zhongyi
Vaishali Rameshbabu — Kateryna Lagno
Divya Deshmukh — Bibisara Assaubayeva
April 15, 2026 17:32
Open section pairings for today
Andrey Esipenko — Fabiano Caruana
Praggnanandhaa R — Hikaru Nakamura
Matthias Bluebaum — Anish Giri
Javokhir Sindarov — Wei Yi
April 15, 2026 17:31
It is the final round!
Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of Round 14 of FIDE Candidates 2026.
Published on Apr 15, 2026
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