2026 Candidates Tournament: R Vaishali squanders lead after losing to China’s Zhu Jiner
Zhu Jiner's victory over R Vaishali in the 12th round of the 2026 Women's Candidates Tournament has shifted the entire outlook of the event. With this win, Zhu and Vaishali are now tied at the top with seven points, while Divya Deshmukh suffered her fourth loss. Meanwhile, Uzbek prodigy Javokhir Sindarov continues to dominate the field, with Anish Giri remaining two points behind.