FIDE Candidates 2026: Praggnanandhaa Almost Out Of Contention For Top Spot After Defeat To Anish Giri In Round 8

Hyderabad: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa faced a major blow to his hopes of clinching the top spot in the FIDE Candidates 2026 tournament after suffering a defeat against Anish Giri in Round 8 on Tuesday. This is his second defeat in the competition, and it leaves him almost out of the title race.

Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan has continued his position at the top after a draw against Andrey Esipenko. He moved to 6.5 points out of a possible eight and currently enjoys a two-point lead with six rounds still to go. If he continues to keep his standing intact, he will challenge D Gukesh for the World Championship title.

Late error cost Praggnanandhaa the game

Praggnanandhaa failed to capitalise on a steady position, and a few errors late in the game resulted in his defeat. He began the game cautiously, using the Vienna variation while playing with black. As the game progressed, a few exchanges took place, and Giri held a slight edge over his opponent. However, the Indian carved a carved a comeback and brought the game to an even footing.

Just when the game was balanced, Praggnanandhaa made a mistake on the 35th move, which proved decisive. His opponent quickly responded with a sharp tactical sequence to tilt the game in his favour. Another error by Praggnanandhaa, a few moves later, effectively put an end to the contest.

After the defeat, Praggnanandhaa is on 3.5 points and is joint fourth in the standings with Wei Yi, Matthias Bluebaum and Hikaru Nakamura. Giri jumped to 4.5 points with the win and is joined by Fabiano Caruana.

Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali are in a joint lead

In the women’s section, a total of five players are in the lead jointly with a tally of 4.5 points, including R Vaishali, who played a draw against Bibisara Assaubayeva. Anna Muzychuk is also in the group of the leaders, and Kateryna Lagno joined them after defeating Aleksandra Goryachkina

FIDE Candidates 2026 Round 8 results

Open Section

• Javokhir Sindarov ½–½ Andrey Esipenko
• Hikaru Nakamura 1–0 Fabiano Caruana
• Anish Giri 1–0 Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu
• Matthias Bluebaum ½–½ Wei Yi

Women's Section

• Divya Deshmukh 1–0 Anna Muzychuk
• Vaishali Rameshbabu ½–½ Bibisara Assaubayeva