The balance begins to shift in the Candidates

Round three of the FIDE Candidates Tournament produced the first meaningful split in the race for first place. Fabiano Caruana scored an important win against Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi, while Javokhir Sindarov collected a full point against Praggnanandhaa R, allowing both players to move clear of the rest of the field. With 2.5 points each, the pair now share the lead and have made an early statement in the fight for tournament victory. At this level, early wins do more than improve the standings; they also create a valuable psychological edge over the field.

In the other games of the day, Matthias Bluebaum drew with Andrey Esipenko, while Hikaru Nakamura and Anish Giri also split the point. After three rounds, the standings in the open section show Caruana and Sindarov leading on 2.5 points, followed by Praggnanandhaa and Bluebaum on 1.5. Esipenko, Giri, Nakamura and Wei Yi form the group on 1 point. The picture after round three is an early reminder that in a long and demanding event like the Candidates, every tempo, every opening choice and every endgame decision can prove decisive.

In the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, the standout result came from Kateryna Lagno, who defeated Tan Zhongyi in a chaotic and tactically charged battle. By seizing the initiative at the critical moments, Lagno earned a crucial victory and joined the tournament lead. Meanwhile, Bibisara Assaubayeva also reached the top after overcoming Zhu Jiner with an aggressive opening idea that paid off in full. These two wins created a clear early front line in the women’s event as well.

In the remaining women’s games, Vaishali Rameshbabu drew with Anna Muzychuk, and Aleksandra Goryachkina shared the point with Divya Deshmukh. After round three, Assaubayeva and Lagno lead on 2 points, while Divya, Goryachkina, Muzychuk and Vaishali are close behind on 1.5. Tan Zhongyi and Zhu Jiner sit on 1 point. Although the tournaments are still in their early stages, it is already clear that time management, depth of preparation and composure under pressure will be central factors in deciding both the open and women’s races.