Daijiworld Media Network - Pegeia

Pegeia, Mar 30: Fabiano Caruana delivered a statement performance by defeating top seed Hikaru Nakamura in a grueling six-hour battle in the opening round of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026.

The victory marked a significant breakthrough for Caruana, who had struggled against Nakamura in previous encounters. The round witnessed an aggressive start overall, with only one draw across the board, underlining the fighting spirit in modern elite chess.

India’s Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa impressed with a clinical win over Anish Giri, capitalising on an early surprise and converting his advantage with precision. Meanwhile, Javokhir Sindarov pulled off a remarkable turnaround to defeat Andrey Esipenko, climbing into the top 10 rankings.

The only draw of the round came between debutants Matthias Bluebaum and Wei Yi.

In the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026, all four games ended in draws, though the contests were fiercely fought. Aleksandra Goryachkina missed a decisive opportunity against Kateryna Lagno, while India’s Rameshbabu Vaishali held firm under severe time pressure against Bibisara Assaubayeva.

Elsewhere, Zhu Jiner failed to convert a strong start against Tan Zhongyi, and Anna Muzychuk was pushed on the back foot early by India’s Divya Deshmukh before the game ended in a draw.

The tournament has kicked off with an unusually high number of decisive games, reflecting a shift away from cautious play at the top level. Round two is scheduled for Monday, with matches set to begin at 6:15 pm IST.