Indian chess player R Praggnanandhaa draws his game while Javokhir Sindarov’s impressive victory over Hikaru Nakamura highlights the latest round of the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus.
IMAGE: R Praggnanandhaa played out a draw with Andrey Esipenko after opting for an unconventional opening at the Candidates Chess Tournament. Photograph: Yoav Nis (Eugene Nisenabum)/FIDE Candidates 2026
Key Points
- R Praggnanandhaa played out a draw with Andrey Esipenko in the Candidates Tournament.
- Javokhir Sindarov defeated Hikaru Nakamura, maintaining a full-point lead in the Candidates Tournament.
- Fabiano Caruana moved into striking distance after defeating Matthias Bluebaum in the Candidates Tournament.
- In the women’s event, Divya Deshmukh was held to a draw by Tan Zhongyi of China.
R Praggnanandhaa, the lone Indian in the fray, played out a draw with Andrey Esipenko, while Javokhir Sindarov maintained his winning momentum and defeated Hikaru Nakamura to retain a full-point lead after the fifth round of the Candidates Chess Tournament in Paphos, Cyprus, on Friday.
It turned out to be another dramatic day as Praggnanandhaa, who needed to win, opted for an unconventional opening not prescribed in the books. While the middlegame promised excitement, the Indian ace decided against taking any risks, and the game ended in a draw in just 31 moves via repetition.
Sindarov looks like a young man on a mission as he outclassed world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura to race to 4.5 points from the first five rounds. Fabiano Caruana of the United States is the only one within striking distance after defeating Matthias Bluebaum to move to 3.5 points.
Praggnanandhaa, on 2.5 points, is next on the list and in need of a couple of wins, along with Anish Giri, who also settled for a draw with Wei Yi.
Divya Deshmukh Held To Draw
In the women’s event being held simultaneously, Divya Deshmukh played out a draw with Tan Zhongyi of China, while R Vaishali was struggling to save a difficult position against another Chinese Zhu Jiner.
Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine, meanwhile, remained as the co-leader following a draw with Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia as overnight joint leader BIbisara Assaubayeva lost to Russian Kateryna Lagno, who joined the Ukrainian in the pole position.
Round 5 Results
R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 2.5) drew with Andrey Esipenko (Rus, 1); Fabiano Caruana (USA, 3.5) beat Matthias Bluebaum (Ger, 2); Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 1.5) lost to Javokhir SIndarov (Uzb, 4.5); Anish Giri (Ned, 2.5) drew with Wei Yi (Chn, 2).
Women’s Round 5 Results
Kateryna Lagno (Rus, 3) beat Bibisara Assuabayeva (Kaz, 2.5); Tan Zhongyi (Chn, 2) drew with Divya Deshmukh (Ind, 2); Zhu Jiner (Chn, 2) playing R Vaishali (Ind, 2); Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus, 2.5) drew with Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 3).
