Elite chess explained, move by move
Dates
28 Mar — 16 Apr 2026
Location
Paphos, CY
Field
8 players
Format
Double round-robin
Time control
Classical
Rounds
14 · 14 played
Decisive
46%
Avg. rating
2520

Round 2 · 30 Mar 2026

Divya Deshmukh — Vaishali

The Matchup

White
Divya DeshmukhCredit
🇮🇳IND
1st · 0.5

Divya Deshmukh

2522 Performance

Last 5 games½
World#12FIDE Standard world ranking from the latest monthly classical rating list before this tournament started. List: 2026-03-01.Elo2497Age20

India's Women's World Cup champion and fast-rising grandmaster, pairing fearless opening ambition with the tactical nerve to challenge the world's best.

Games in this event →
½–½Draw
Black
Rameshbabu VaishaliCredit
🇮🇳IND
1st · 0.5

Rameshbabu Vaishali

2516 Performance

Last 5 games½
World#18FIDE Standard world ranking from the latest monthly classical rating list before this tournament started. List: 2026-03-01.Elo2470Age24

India's 2026 Candidates winner and Praggnanandhaa's elder sister, combining sharp calculation with resolute classical play when the title path is on the line.

Games in this event →

Head to head

Classical over-the-board (indexed)

Lifetime FIDE classical score unavailable (missing FIDE ID or cache not warmed).

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Key Moments

Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation
BlackVaishaliIND2470
+3
WhiteDeshmukhIND2505
B
+0.2W

Classical factors on this position

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Checks, captures, and threats for the side to move

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The Moves

Other lines considered

From the crossroads before this move — engine and player perspectives.

Engine & players agree

Playable moves worth considering here.

Qe6c8e6
na29%

MAIA 2200

PLAYER LIKELIHOOD29% would play this move

The Maia model estimates how often 2200-rated players choose this move from this position.

What changed

Attacking
Skewers the queen on e5 with the pawn behind on e3
Defending
Threatening

Immediate impact

Rook on b8 uses the open b-file
Qa6c8a6
na23%

MAIA 2200

PLAYER LIKELIHOOD23% would play this move

The Maia model estimates how often 2200-rated players choose this move from this position.

What changed

Attacking
Defending
Threatening

Immediate impact

Rook on b8 uses the open b-file
Qd7c8d7
na22%

MAIA 2200

PLAYER LIKELIHOOD22% would play this move

The Maia model estimates how often 2200-rated players choose this move from this position.

What changed

Attacking
Defending
Threatening

Immediate impact

Rook on b8 uses the open b-file