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

FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026
Women's section

The winner earns the right to play the reigning champion in the women's title match.

From Wikipedia — Women's Candidates Tournament (CC BY-SA 4.0)

§ 01 · 8 players

The Players

Avg. rating · 2520

Runner-up

Runner-up
🇰🇿KAZ
2nd · 8.0

Bibisara Assaubayeva

Prize€52,200

2549 Performance

Last 5 gamesW½WW½
World#9FIDE Standard world ranking from the latest monthly classical rating list before this tournament started. List: 2026-03-01.Elo2516Age22

Kazakhstan's world rapid champion and 2026 Candidates runner-up, bringing fearless initiative, speedy calculation, and elite practical instincts.

14 games in this event →

Winner

Winner
🇮🇳IND
1st · 8.5

Rameshbabu Vaishali

Prize€65,400

2570 Performance

Last 5 games½WL½W
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.

14 games in this event →

Bronze

Bronze
🇨🇳CHN
3rd · 7.5

Jiner Zhu

Prize€41,600

2526 Performance

Last 5 gamesL½WL½
World#2FIDE Standard world ranking from the latest monthly classical rating list before this tournament started. List: 2026-03-01.Elo2578Age23

China's top-seeded grandmaster and former girl's world champion, valued for imaginative opening play and the initiative to stir complications against elite opponents.

14 games in this event →

§ 02 · Round timeline

Assaubayeva’s games

§ · Player lens

🇰🇿KAZ
2nd · 8.0

Bibisara Assaubayeva

2549 Performance

Last 5 gamesW½WW½
World#9FIDE Standard world ranking from the latest monthly classical rating list before this tournament started. List: 2026-03-01.Elo2516Age22

Kazakhstan's world rapid champion and 2026 Candidates runner-up, bringing fearless initiative, speedy calculation, and elite practical instincts.

14 games in this event →