NEW DELHI: The opening day of the 2026 FIDE Candidates at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Paphos, Cyprus, proved that while chess doctrine often predicts a draw when both sides play perfectly, the reality on the board could be far more volatile. Of the eight games across the Open and Women’s categories, only three produced decisive results, all in the Open section, headlined by a tactical masterclass from India’s R Praggnanandhaa.The day’s first blood was drawn by Uzbek 2025 FIDE World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov, who defeated Russia’s Andrey Esipenko. Elsewhere, in a marathon American derby, Fabiano Caruana overcame Hikaru Nakamura in the longest game of Sunday.However, the spotlight belonged to Chennai-born Praggnanandhaa, who dismantled Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri with clinical precision to signal a formidable start to his campaign.
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In the Women’s section, caution was the order of the day as all four games ended in draws. Russian GM Aleksandra Goryachkina came closest to a breakthrough against compatriot Kateryna Lagno before a blunder in the middlegame forced a split point.On the Indian boards, Divya Deshmukh and Rameshbabu Vaishali held their ground with the white pieces against Anna Muzychuk and Bibisara Assaubayeva, respectively, ensuring the Indian contingent remained unbeaten.FIDE Candidates Round 1 Results – March 29, 2026Fabiano Caruana 1-0 Hikaru NakamuraPraggnanandhaa R 1-0 Anish GiriJavokhir Sindarov 1-0 Andrey EsipenkoMatthias Bluebaum 0.5-0.5 Wei YiFIDE Women’s Candidates Round 1 Results – March 29, 2026Divya Deshmukh 0.5-0.5 Anna MuzychukVaishali Rameshbabu 0.5-0.5 Bibisara AssaubayevaAleksandra Goryachkina 0.5-0.5 Kateryna LagnoZhu Jiner 0.5-0.5 Tan ZhongyiGame of The Day: R Praggnanandhaa vs Anish GiriWhile the Nakamura-Caruana clash was the longest of the day, chess purists found more to admire in the high-accuracy battle between Praggnanandhaa and Giri.“With correct 80th move …Kc7!, Hikaru could have actually drawn the game,” veteran GM Pravin Thipsay told TimesofIndia.com. “So, it can no longer be called the best game of the day. It is undoubtedly Praggnamandhaa vs Giri. Accuracy level very high.”Praggnanandhaa opened with the King’s Pawn, meeting Giri’s Sicilian Defence with the aggressive Grand Prix Attack. The 20-year-old Indian displayed deep preparation, sacrificing a pawn on the 10th move before unleashing a decisive manoeuvre on the 11th.“Praggnanandhaa played the Grand Prix attack, and on the 11th move, Praggnanandhaa played interestingly. On the 10th move, Praggnanandhaa sacrificed a pawn, and on the 11th move, he improved his queen,” Thipsay explained.
“The best variation by Anish Giri, probably on the 11th move, would have led to roughly equal position, but a slight mistake on the 11th move by Anish enabled Praggnanandhaa to get a slight advantage, which he carried home with a very good technical play from move 12 itself.”Giri’s response, 11…Be6, allowed Praggnanandhaa to capture the white-squared bishop (13. Bxe6), tilting the structural advantage in favour of the Indian.Although the queens were swapped by move 25, the endgame became a nightmare for the Dutchman.
The final blow came on the 36th move when Giri played 36…Nf6. Working the a- and b-file pawns might have offered a sturdier defence, but Giri’s uncharacteristic oversight allowed Praggnanandhaa’s rook and h-file pawn to tighten the noose.Giri resigned by move 51.“Praggnanandhaa’s technique in this game was excellent,” Thipsay added.
Praggnanandhaa finished the game with a staggering 97.3% accuracy compared to Giri’s 92.5%, proving that at this level, the finest of margins dictate the outcome.The Indian sensation will look to carry this momentum into Monday’s second round, where he faces China’s Wei Yi.FIDE Candidates Round 2 Schedule – March 30, 2026Andrey Esipenko vs Hikaru NakamuraAnish Giri vs Fabiano CaruanaWei Yi vs R PraggnanandhaaJavokhir Sindarov vs Matthias BlübaumFIDE Women’s Candidates Round 2 Schedule – March 30, 2026Anna Muzychuk vs Tan ZhongyiKateryna Lagno vs Zhu JinerBibisara Assaubayeva vs Aleksandra GoryachkinaDivya Deshmukh vs Vaishali Rameshbabu
