Candidates 2026: R Praggnanandhaa Resumes Chase Of Leader Javokhir Sindarov After Rest Day

Last Updated:April 03, 2026, 07:37 IST

Sindarov leads Candidates with 3.5 from 4, Caruana on 2.5, Praggnanandhaa stuck on 2 and faces Esipenko next, in womens event Assaubayeva and Muzychuk lead on 2.5 points

After defeating Anish Giri of the Netherlands in the first round, Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa is yet to win another game in the Candidates chess tournament, and the road ahead looks difficult for him as Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov has made a start that everyone will envy.

With four rounds of ten completed, Praggnanandhaa is on two points. It would normally be considered a decent start, but it pales in comparison with Sindarov’s results.

The Uzbek shocked the chess world by winning the World Chess Cup in Goa last year, and he seems unstoppable here, having scored 3.5 points from his four games.

In any elite event like this, either the start or the business end of the tournament is crucial. With this kind of opening burst, it is clear that Sindarov is currently the most feared opponent, unless someone manages to halt his momentum.

That said, the Uzbek’s brand of chess relies heavily on his willingness to enter complex positions where he tries to outplay his opponents. This could be one area the other elite players will look to exploit going forward, as anything can happen in positions where all three results are possible.

With Sindarov on 3.5 points, Fabiano Caruana stands second on 2.5, while Praggnanandhaa, Matthias Bluebaum of Germany and Giri share the next three spots with 2 points each. Hikaru Nakamura of the United States and Wei Yi of China follow on 1.5 points, while Andrey Esipenko of Russia is last with just 1 point.

What About Women’s Category

In the women’s tournament being held simultaneously, Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan and Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine share the lead on 2.5 points. Russians Kateryna Lagno and Aleksandra Goryachkina, along with Jiner Zhu of China and Indian R Vaishali, share third place on 2 points each, while Divya Deshmukh and Zhongyi Tan are close behind on 1.5 points.

In the open section, Sindarov has clearly been the standout performer with his never-say-die attitude and sharp tactical skills. His game against Praggnanandhaa probably stands out as his best effort so far, as he sacrificed a piece early and obtained excellent counterplay.

For Praggnanandhaa, things must improve if he is to mount a serious bid to play the next world championship match against D Gukesh.

So far, the Indian has shown plenty of intent, but it remains to be seen whether he can collect a few more points before the halfway mark in this 8-player, 14-round double round-robin event, in which everyone plays each other twice.

Praggnanandhaa will face bottom-placed Esipenko in the next round after a rest day on Thursday.

The women’s event is quite open, as both leaders started as underdogs. Anna Muzychuk in particular got her chance to play only after Koneru Humpy withdrew, while Bibisara was considered at best a long shot when the event began.

Pairings Round 5

Open: R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 2) vs Andrey Esipenko (Rus, 1); Fabiano Caruana (Usa, 2.5) vs Matthias Bluebaum (Ger, 2); Hikaru Nakamura (Usa, 1.5) vs Javokhir Sindarov (Uzb, 3.5); Anish Giri (Ned, 2) vs Wei Yi (Chn, 1.5).

Women: Kateryna Lagno (Rus, 2) vs Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz, 2.5); Zhongyi Tan (Chn, 1.5) vs Divya Deshmukh (Ind, 1.5); Jiner Zhu (Chn, 2) vs R Vaishali (Ind, 2); Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus, 2) vs Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 2.5).

(With inputs from Agencies)

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