FIDE Candidates 2026: Pragg in joint lead after second round draw with Wei Yi

R. Praggnanandhaa remained in joint lead of the men’s section after two rounds of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 on Monday, playing out a draw against Wei Yi. He had earlier registered an impressive win over Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri in the opening round on Sunday.

Wei opened with the Petroff Defence, aiming to control the centre and leading to a complex, symmetrical position. Praggnanandhaa used his rooks and minor pieces effectively to neutralise any threats, with both players maintaining a high level of accuracy.

Neither side found a safe way to press for a win, and the game petered out into a draw after the first time control.

In an all-Indian clash in the women’s section, Divya Deshmukh and R. Vaishali were both left searching for their first win as they settled for a draw. Divya adopted a solid setup and entered a prolonged manoeuvring phase centred around her knight, putting her opponent under sustained pressure.

Vaishali, however, ran into severe time trouble early and had to navigate the latter phase of the first time control on the 30-second increment. While the result would come as a morale boost for Vaishali, who survived the time scramble, it was a missed opportunity for Divya, who had the space and initiative but could not convert her advantage into a win.

Elsewhere in the Open section, Matthias Bluebaum drew with Javokhir Sindarov, while Fabiano Caruana’s clash with Anish Giri also ended in a draw. Hikaru Nakamura, meanwhile, shared the point with Andrey Esipenko.

In the women’s section, Zhu Jiner looked in control for long stretches but was held to a draw by Bibisara Assaubayeva.