India’s R Vaishali Rameshbabu extended her dominance in the FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026 tournament in Cyprus by defeating top contender Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia in Round 11 on April 11, maintaining a half-point lead atop the standings.
Playing Black, Vaishali neutralized Goryachkina’s London System aggression, reaching an equal middlegame before setting a tactical snare—on move 25 (Rf5), the Russian rook wandered centrally into a self-made cage with no escape squares.
Tactical Masterstroke
Goryachkina’s 30…Bc4 blunder—seemingly natural—exposed the rook; Vaishali blitzed 31.Bc6, winning the exchange in a rook endgame. The 24-year-old Grandmaster, already a two-time FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss champion, converted flawlessly despite a pawn loss earlier.
Tournament Standings
With four rounds left, Vaishali’s seven points position her ahead of Anna Muzychuk; fellow Indians Divya Deshmukh drew while Praggnanandhaa holds steady in the open section. Her composure echoes brother Pragg’s Candidates poise
