Round two of the Women's Candidates concluded with all four games ending in draws. Despite the absence of decisive results, the play was far from uneventful, as two players obtained clearly superior positions but failed to convert them.
This continued a trend already seen at the outset of the event, when Zhu Jiner and Aleksandra Goryachkina had missed significant opportunities. Once again, Zhu was unable to capitalise on a winning position, this time against Kateryna Lagno, while Divya Deshmukh let her advantage slip against Vaishali Rameshbabu after overlooking a tactical resource.
The remaining two games were rather uneventful, finishing in 32 and 41 moves, leaving the standings unchanged.
Round 2 results
Anna Muzychuk v. Tan Zhongyi ended in a draw by perpetual check after 32 moves | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
In the encounter between Lagno and Zhu, the players began to invest considerable time early on, already reflecting deeply on move orders by move 11. Shortly thereafter, on move 12, Lagno committed the first inaccuracy, allowing Zhu to seize the initiative.
The Chinese GM gradually increased her advantage as the middlegame unfolded, reaching a position with realistic winning chances. By move 27, both players were already down to less than 3 minutes on the clock, and at that stage Black's position was clearly superior.
However, Zhu faltered twice in the critical phase, and these inaccuracies proved costly. Lagno was able to escape by sacrificing her rook to force a perpetual check - an idea she had initially missed after Zhu's first mistake, but later found under pressure.
The game thus ended in a draw, marking a second major missed opportunity for Zhu and a second narrow escape for Lagno, who had also been in a losing position against Goryachkina in her previous outing.
Kateryna Lagno | Photo: FIDE / Yoav Nis
The all-Indian clash between Deshmukh and Vaishali developed along more strategic lines. The players entered a battle characterised by a relatively static pawn structure in the early opening, which required careful manoeuvring rather than immediate tactical resolution. Both spent significant time dealing with the subtleties of the position, and by move 24 they were already under pressure on the clock.
In the ensuing complications, it was Vaishali who erred first, as she blundered with 34...Ne4?, giving Deshmukh a clear opportunity to take control.
Deshmukh initially found the correct way forward, but then faltered herself on move 37 by choosing the wrong queen move. This allowed Vaishali to escape with an accurate and resourceful defensive sequence, highlighted by a temporary queen sacrifice on h3.
A quick post-mortem exchange right after the draw was agreed | Photo: FIDE / Yoav Nis
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