Women's Candidates R10: Vaishali sole leader, as Assaubayeva beats Zhu

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
4/10/2026 – Vaishali Rameshbabu moved into sole first place in round ten of the Women's Candidates Tournament after drawing with Anna Muzychuk, as former co-leader Zhu Jiner was defeated by Bibisara Assaubayeva (pictured). Aleksandra Goryachkina also scored an important win, as she got the better of Divya Deshmukh. With four rounds to go, the standings remain closely packed and several players still have realistic chances. | Photo: FIDE / Niki Riga
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Assaubayeva and Goryachkina score

The Women's Candidates Tournament remains notably dynamic, with no player able to break away from the field.

Vaishali Rameshbabu now stands alone in first place, while two players trail by half a point: Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner. Meanwhile, Bibisara Assaubayeva and Aleksandra Goryachkina, the winners of the day, are now just one point behind the leader, alongside Kateryna Lagno, while Divya Deshmukh remains within striking distance despite suffering back-to-back defeats.

Round 10 results

Vaishali's draw with Anna Muzychuk was one of the most straightforward games of the round. Playing with the black pieces, she neutralised any pressure comfortably in a game that featured accurate play from both sides and no clear inaccuracies.

Although Muzychuk obtained a mildly uncomfortable position at one stage, she could not prevent the position from being simplified, and the game soon drifted into a draw. The result enabled Vaishali to retain sole possession of the lead with four rounds remaining, without needing to take undue risks.

In the game between Kateryna Lagno and Tan Zhongyi, the players explored an unusual opening, with Tan opting for the offbeat O'Kelly Sicilian. Lagno managed to obtain a slight edge and appeared to have chances to press in the endgame. However, she did not handle the technical phase accurately, and Tan once again demonstrated her defensive resourcefulness to hold the position and secure the draw.

Anna Muzychuk

Anna Muzychuk | Photo: FIDE / Niki Riga

Tan Zhongyi

Tan Zhongyi | Photo: FIDE / Niki Riga

The two decisive games of the round followed very different trajectories.

Bibisara Assaubayeva's win over Zhu Jiner came in a game that remained roughly balanced for a long time and could have ended in a draw on several occasions. As the time control approached, however, Zhu chose an inaccurate plan and began to over-press, a recurring theme in her tournament so far.

Her position quickly deteriorated, and Assaubayeva seized the initiative, eventually advancing a dangerous passed a-pawn. The final phase became highly tactical, with two white queens appearing on the board.

Zhu was ultimately left without adequate counterplay and had to resign. This was Assaubayeva’s second win of the event, both achieved against Zhu, and it brought her firmly back into contention after what had been a relatively quiet stretch. She had earlier expressed frustration at her own play in previous rounds, but this result marked a clear shift in momentum.

Bibisara Assaubayeva, Zhu Jiner

Bibisara Assaubayeva already had a dangerous passer on the a-file by this point of the game | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

Aleksandra Goryachkina also joined the group of contenders after scoring her first win of the tournament, defeating Divya Deshmukh.

For much of the game, the position appeared balanced and seemed likely to end in a draw, with the struggle eventually simplifying into a minor-piece endgame. However, on move 58, and already under time pressure, Deshmukh committed a critical mistake that allowed Goryachkina to take over.

After 58.Nb2?, Goryachkina immediately began pushing her kingside pawns, and the knight was not in time to reach that flank of the board to help the king stop the advance.

The result continued a difficult run for Deshmukh, who had moved into a share of the lead after her round-eight victory over Muzychuk but has since lost twice in succession.

Goryachkina, by contrast, brings extensive experience at the highest level - including having contested a Women’s World Championship match - and her entry into the race adds further depth to an already closely contested tournament.

Aleksandra Goryachkina

A smiling Aleksandra Goryachkina being interviewed following her first victory of the event | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

Standings after round 10

All games

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Topics: Candidates 2026, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Zhu Jiner
Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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