A strong statement in round three at Cap St Georges

The third round of the FIDE Candidates and the FIDE Women’s Candidates stood in sharp contrast to the quiet, draw-heavy day that came before it, delivering a much more combative set of games. In the elegant setting of the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, the standout surge came from Fabiano Caruana and rising Uzbek star Javokhir Sindarov. Their important victories over Wei Yi and R Praggnanandhaa respectively lifted both players to 2.5/3 at the top of the standings. More importantly, they now sit a full point ahead of the chasing pack, a sizeable margin even at this early stage and one that carries clear psychological weight.

Caruana’s display stood out not only on the scoreboard but also in the way he shaped the game from the opening onward. In an event like the Candidates, where every half-point matters and where preparation, nerve, and precision often decide the outcome, such an early and convincing win can influence the tone of the entire tournament. Sindarov’s success against Praggnanandhaa sent a similarly powerful message: the young grandmaster is not merely looking to cause upsets, but is making a serious bid for the lead. By contrast, the games Matthias Bluebaum vs Andrey Esipenko and Hikaru Nakamura vs Anish Giri remained balanced throughout, played with near-perfect accuracy. That created an intriguing mix within the same round: elite technical chess on two boards, and sharp, ambitious fighting chess on the others.

In the Women’s Candidates, the player who seized the spotlight was Kateryna Lagno. Her full-point result against Tan Zhongyi came in a chaotic and fluctuating battle, and it was enough to move her into first place. Sharing the lead with her is Bibisara Assaubayeva, who defeated Zhu Jiner after adopting an aggressive approach in the opening. These wins reshaped not only the standings but also the strategic dynamic of the event, because in a tournament of this kind, early momentum can quickly turn into sustained pressure on the rest of the field.

The day also featured a ceremonial touch through the symbolic first moves. FIDE Vice President Michael Khodarkovsky had the honor of making the opening move in Caruana’s game against Wei Yi, while FIDE Management Board Deputy Chair Dana Reizniece performed the same role in the game between R Vaishali and Anna Muzychuk. With 11 rounds still to be played, much can still change in this long race. Even so, the picture after round three is already clear: the pace has quickened at Cap St Georges, players willing to take risks have been rewarded, and the battle for first place in both sections is beginning to take a more defined shape.