Paphos (Cyprus), April 10 With R. Praggnanandhaa out of contention, the focus has shifted to his sister R. Vaishali, who enters Round 11 of the Women's Candidates tournament as the sole leader, boosting her chances of winning the title when play resumes on Saturday after the rest day.
Vaishali, with six points, faces Russia's Aleksandra Goryachkina in the next round, aiming to extend her lead and strengthen her bid for the title, which would give her a chance to compete against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun later this year.
With four rounds remaining, Vaishali has been the standout among the three Indian players, ahead of her younger brother R. Praggnanandhaa, who is competing in the Open section, and Divya Deshmukh.
She holds a half-point lead over Ukraine's Anna Muzychuk and China's Zhu Jiner. The trio of Kateryna Lagno, Aleksandra Goryachkina, and Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva are tied for fourth on five points, while Divya Deshmukh is another half-point behind.
Former women's world champion Tan Zhongyi is in last place with 3.5 points.
Vaishali has been in the spotlight for her bold, attacking play, with three wins and just one loss so far. The Indian has shown strong intent, balancing ambition with calculated risk-taking.
After her clash with Goryachkina, she still has games against two Chinese players and Kateryna. With four rounds left, the tournament remains wide open, and a strong finish could still secure the title and a shot at world champion Wenjun later this year.
The 'Open' section has turned into a one-sided race, with Sindarov in commanding form on eight points out of 10. The Uzbek has been relentless, scoring six wins alongside four draws, and is now well placed to secure a shot at India's D. Gukesh in this year's World Championship match, barring a dramatic collapse in the final rounds.
Sindarov remains firmly in control, with the closest challenger Anish Giri trailing by two points and needing a near-miracle to stay in contention for the title.
Such has been Sindarov's dominance that third-placed Fabiano Caruana is a further point behind Giri and effectively out of the race. Hikaru Nakamura, Wei Yi, and Matthias Bluebaum share fourth place on 4.5 points.
Praggnanandhaa is in seventh spot with just four points to his credit after a promising start, while Andrey Esipenko, on 3.5 points, is in the last spot.
A win for Sindarov against Caruana in the next round could virtually settle the title in his favour, while even a draw would move him closer to glory.
Giri faces Andrey Esipenko and will look to cut into the gap if he wins, while Praggnanandhaa takes on Bluebaum, who has shown solid form throughout the event.
In another Round 11 encounter, Nakamura will aim to improve his standing against Wei Yi.
Pairings (Round 11): Fabiano Caruana (USA, 5) vs Javokhir Sindarov (Uzb, 8); R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 4) vs Matthias Bluebaum (Ger, 4.5); Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 4.5) vs Wei Yi (Chn, 4.5); Anish Giri (Ned, 6) vs Andrey Esipenko (Rus, 3.5).
Women: Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus, 5) vs R Vaishali (Ind, 6); Tan Zhongyi (Chn, 3.5) vs Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz, 5); Kateryna Lagno (Rus, 5) vs Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 5.5); Zhu Jiner (Chn, 5.5) vs Divya Deshmukh (Ind, 4.5).