Here are the Candidates Tournament 2026 round 10 results. Javokhir Sindarov (Elo 2757) beat R Praggnanandhaa (Elo 2741) in 53 moves to extend his lead to a commanding 2 points at 8/10. It is Sindarov’s sixth win of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, a new record for the modern 8-player double round-robin format. The other three Open games were drawn.
In the Women’s section, Vaishali Rameshbabu took sole lead at 6/10 after drawing Anna Muzychuk, while co-leader Zhu Jiner lost to Bibisara Assaubayeva. Follow all results live at shatranj.live/candidates.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Candidates Tournament 2026 Standings After Round 10
| Rank | Player | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Javokhir Sindarov | Uzbekistan | 8/10 |
| 2 | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 6/10 |
| 3 | Fabiano Caruana | USA | 5/10 |
| 4 | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 4.5/10 |
| 5 | Matthias Bluebaum | Germany | 4.5/10 |
| 6 | Wei Yi | China | 4.5/10 |
| 7 | R Praggnanandhaa | India | 4/10 |
| 8 | Andrey Esipenko | FIDE | 3.5/10 |
Sindarov now leads Giri by 2 full points with four rounds remaining. No player in the modern Candidates format (used since 2013) has held a lead this large at this stage of the tournament. For context, Ian Nepomniachtchi led by 1.5 points at the end of the 2022 Candidates, but that was after 14 rounds, not 10.
“I was ready for a big fight today. My team will really hate me after this move, but okay, it works very well.” — Javokhir Sindarov, after his record-breaking 6th win
Key Games from Candidates Tournament 2026 Round 10
Sindarov 1-0 Praggnanandhaa, Queen’s Gambit Declined (D37), 53 moves
The decisive game of the round. Sindarov had White in a Queen’s Gambit Declined (Barmen Variation) and Pragg responded aggressively with an early g5 and h5 pawn advance, sacrificing king safety for counterplay. The position stayed balanced until move 22, when Pragg played Bd7, a serious error that allowed Sindarov to play Rf7, winning the exchange. The 21-year-old converted methodically over the next 30 moves in a queen versus two rooks endgame.
Wei Yi 1/2-1/2 Caruana, French Defense (C15), 39 moves
Caruana had Black against Wei Yi in a French Defense, Winawer Variation. Neither player found a way to create serious imbalances, and the game was drawn in 39 moves. Caruana stays on 5/10, three points behind Sindarov.
Giri 1/2-1/2 Nakamura, Queen’s Gambit Declined (D31), 36 moves
A solid Queen’s Gambit Declined that produced no real winning chances for either side. Giri maintains second place at 6/10.
Esipenko 1/2-1/2 Bluebaum, Petrov Defense (C42), 40 moves
A quiet Petrov Defense that ended in a draw after 40 moves. Both players remain in the bottom half of the standings.
Photo: Tom Purves, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Women’s Candidates 2026 Round 10 Results: Vaishali Takes Sole Lead
| Rank | Player | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vaishali Rameshbabu | India | 6/10 |
| 2 | Zhu Jiner | China | 5.5/10 |
| 3 | Anna Muzychuk | Ukraine | 5.5/10 |
| 4 | Aleksandra Goryachkina | FIDE | 5/10 |
| 5 | Kateryna Lagno | FIDE | 5/10 |
| 6 | Bibisara Assaubayeva | Kazakhstan | 5/10 |
| 7 | Divya Deshmukh | India | 4.5/10 |
| 8 | Tan Zhongyi | China | 3.5/10 |
The Women’s section produced two decisive games. Assaubayeva beat Zhu Jiner in a 60-move Semi-Slav Defense, converting a passed a-pawn into a winning queen promotion. It is the biggest upset of the second half and drops Zhu from co-leader to joint second.
Goryachkina beat Divya Deshmukh in a 63-move Ruy Lopez decided by mutual time trouble blunders. Muzychuk drew Vaishali, and Lagno drew Tan Zhongyi. Six players are now within 1 point of the lead, and the tiebreak rules could prove decisive.
“I’m just happy that I finally won a game!” — Bibisara Assaubayeva, after her upset win over Zhu Jiner
India at the Candidates: Round 10
Praggnanandhaa 0-1 Sindarov, 53 moves
Praggnanandhaa took risks with an aggressive kingside pawn advance but the approach backfired. The critical blunder on move 22 cost him the exchange, and Sindarov converted without difficulty. Pragg drops to 4/10, four points behind the leader, and is now playing for pride in the final four rounds.
Muzychuk 1/2-1/2 Vaishali, 42 moves
Vaishali drew with Black in an Italian Game against Muzychuk, a solid result that became a great one when Zhu Jiner lost. Vaishali now leads the Women’s Candidates by half a point, the highest any Indian woman has stood at this stage of the tournament. For the full picture, see our India at the Candidates overview and follow all Indian players on Shatranj Live.
Divya Deshmukh 0-1 Goryachkina, 63 moves
Divya lost a time-trouble-affected Ruy Lopez to Goryachkina. She drops to 4.5/10, 1.5 points behind Vaishali.
Follow the Candidates 2026 Live
Those are the complete Candidates Tournament 2026 round 10 results. Round 11 takes place on April 11 after the rest day, with the key matchup being Caruana (White) vs Sindarov, Caruana’s last realistic chance to close the gap. Check the latest Candidates 2026 standings, pairings, and game replays live at shatranj.live/candidates. No sign-up required.
For more coverage, see the second-half predictions, Round 9 report, Round 8 report, Candidates Tournament preview, and what is the Candidates Tournament explainer.
