FIDE Grand Swiss: R Vaishali Grabs Joint Lead In Women's Section In Penultimate Round

Last Updated:September 14, 2025, 23:34 IST

R Vaishali defeated Mariya Muzychuk to join Kateryna Lagno at the top in FIDE Grand Swiss. Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin drew, while R Praggnanandhaa lost to Hans Moke Niemann.

Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali (X)

Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali defeated former world champion Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine and moved into a joint lead after the 10th and penultimate round in the women’s section of the FIDE Grand Swiss on Sunday.

Knowing she needed a victory to stay in contention, Vaishali’s approach from the start was aligned with the requirements of the tournament situation.

Facing the defending champion, Vaishali encountered the Sicilian defense and employed a few tactics in the Sveshnikov variation, which led to complicated situations as the game progressed.

Mariya sensed she had an advantage, but the mounting pressure caused her to make mistakes, ultimately leading to blunders in the rooks and minor piece endgame. Vaishali won in 42 moves, joining overnight leader Kateryna Lagno of Ukraine at the top with 7.5 points out of a possible 10.

The two leaders are followed by former women’s world champion Zhongyi Tan, Yuxin Song of China, and Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan, each with seven points.

A win or draw as black would significantly enhance Vaishali’s chances for a berth in the Candidates.

In the open section, the Indian challenge for a Candidates berth nearly dissipated as Arjun Erigaisi drew with Yu Yangyi of China, and erstwhile joint leader Nihal Sarin managed only a draw against Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan.

R Praggnanandhaa’s bid for a Candidates spot ended after he lost to Hans Moke Niemann of the United States. Currently, the top is a five-way tie with Alireza Firouzja of France, German duo Matthias Bluebaum and Vincent Keymar, Anish Giri of Holland, and Niemann, each with seven points.

Praggnanandhaa remains the only Indian almost assured of a Candidates spot, likely qualifying due to his performance throughout the year.

Round 10 Results

Open (Indians unless specified): Alireza Firouzja (Fra, 7) drew with Anish Giri (Ned, 7); Vincent Keymer (Ger, 7) drew with Matthais Bluebaum (Ger, 7); Yu Yangyi (Chn, 6.5) drew with Arjun Erigaisi (6.5); Nihal Sarin (6.5) drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 6.5); Abhimanyu Mishra (Usa, 6.5) drew with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra, 6.5); Hans Moke Niemann (Usa, 7) beat R Praggnanandhaa (5.5); Amin Tabatabaei (Iri, 6) drew with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze, 6): Ivan Saric (Srb, 5.5) lost to Vidit Gujrathi (6.5); Aditya Mittal (5.5) drew with Daniil Dubov (Fid, 5.5); Vokhidov Shamsiddin (Uzb, 5.5) drew with V Pranav (5.5); Ivan Cheparinov (Bul, 4.5) lost to P Harikrishna (5.5); Nikita Vitiugov (Sui, 5) drew with Leon Luke Mendonca (5); Anton Demchenko (Srb, 4.5) lost to Raunak Sadhwani (5.5); Abhimanyu Puranik (5) drew with Aydin Suleymanli (Uzb, 5); Maksim Chigaev (Fid, 4.5) lost to S L Narayanan (5.5); D Gukesh (5) beat Gabriel Sargissian (Bul, 4); Sam Shankland (4.5) drew ith Aryan Chopra (4.5): Murali Karthikeyan (4.5) drew with Ivan Zemlyanskii (Fid, 4.5); Aleksander Indjic (Srb, 4.5) drew with Divya, Deshmukh (4.5).

Women: Tan Zhongyi (Chn, 7) drew with Kateryna Lagno (Fid, 7.5); Yuxin Song (Chn, 7) drew with Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz, 7); R Vaishali (7.5) beat Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr, 6); Guo Qi (Chn, 6) drew with Irina Krush (Usa, 6.5); Ulviyya Fataliyeva (Aze, 6.5) beat Olga Girya (Fid, 5.5); D Harika (5.5) drew with Antoaneta Stefanova (Bul, 5.5); Vantika Agrawal (4.5) beat Ouellet Maili-Jade (Can, 3.5).

(With inputs from Agencies)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...

Read More

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