R. Vaishali won the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 held in Cyprus on 15 April 2026. She defeated Kateryna Lagno in the final round, finishing with 8.5/14 points. Vaishali’s victory earns her the right to challenge reigning world champion Ju Wenjun later this year.
Javokhir Sindarov won the Open Candidates Tournament with 9.5 points. He finished two points ahead of Anish Giri. Sindarov will challenge current world champion D Gukesh for the title.
