Vaishali takes on Goryachkina in hope of sealing her title

With R Praggnanandhaa out of contention, 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 sealing the title when play resumes on Saturday after the rest day.

Vaishali, on 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 earn her a shot at 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 sits 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.