Javokhir Sindarov wins the Candidates with a round to spare, Vaishali still in contention in Women’s

In a commanding display of control and composure, Javokhir Sindarov has clinched the Candidates Tournament with a round to spare , sealing his place as the challenger to D Gukesh later this year. Going into the final round on 9.5/13 , Sindarov remains unbeaten , and could still finish on 10 or even 10.5 points , putting him among the highest-scoring winners in Candidates history , though not an outright record.

The decisive moment came in his Round 13 draw against Anish Giri , the only player with a mathematical chance to catch him. Giri needed a win , but Sindarov never allowed even a hint of imbalance. For 58 moves , engines showed no tangible advantage for White , underlining the Uzbek’s remarkable defensive precision. The game ended quietly but what stood out was the silence after. The customary post-game exchange between the players was absent, reflecting the weight of the moment, particularly for Giri, who had missed winning chances in the previous round that might have brought him closer.

Elsewhere, Wei Yi registered a win, though it had no bearing on the title race, which had already slipped out of reach for the rest of the field. The tournament, in many ways, belonged entirely to Sindarov a wire-to-wire performance marked by control rather than chaos.

For India, the open section has been a disappointment. R Praggnanandhaa , who came in with high expectations, now finds himself 7th out of 8 players , never quite finding rhythm in a field that punished even minor inaccuracies.

Attention now shifts to the Women’s Candidates , where R Vaishali remains very much in contention heading into the final round . The equation is straightforward but unforgiving— she must win her last game. At the same time, she will be watching closely as compatriot Divya Deshmukh takes on co-leader Bibisara Assaubayeva . Vaishali’s chances may well hinge on Divya holding the line .

Two tournaments, two contrasting narratives. One has already found a clear, dominant winner . The other heads into a final-round shootout .