locknlockf2c.com – News Highlights & Timely Briefings

Anish Giri and Matthias Bluebaum secured their spots in the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 after a strong showing at the FIDE Grand Swiss. R Vaishali defended her title in the women's event, marking her second appearance in the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026. With Caruana and Nakamura also confirmed, the Candidates Tournament is set to be highly competitive.

R Vaishali defended her FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss title in 2025, securing a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. She finished with 8 points after drawing against Tan Zhongyi. Vaishali joins Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh as the third Indian woman to qualify for the Candidates, marking a significant achievement for Indian women's chess.

In the FIDE Grand Swiss, Gukesh faced his second consecutive defeat, this time against Nikolas Theodorou, while Arjun Erigaisi held Parham Maghsoodloo. Vaishali secured a win, joining Kateryna Lagno in the lead for the women's section. With a rest day approaching, players are gearing up for the crucial rounds ahead, battling for Candidates Tournament qualification.