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Grandmaster R Vaishali secured her spot in the Women’s Candidates tournament 2026 by winning the Women’s Grand Swiss in Samarkand, a remarkable comeback after a disastrous performance in Chennai. Her brother, GM Praggnanandhaa, and her family played a crucial role in convincing her to participate, before fate intervened.

Gukesh D and Divya Deshmukh drew in a lengthy endgame, while Nihal Sarin secured a quick draw, sharing the lead in the FIDE Grand Swiss. R Vaishali lost her lead in the women's section after a defeat, and Vidit Gujrathi was also defeated. Kateryna Lagno now leads the women's section with 6.5 points, holding a half-point advantage.