Women’s Candidates R7: Vaishali climbs to sole second place

Anna Muzychuk continues to lead the Women’s Candidates Tournament, reaching the halfway stage with 4.5 points out of 7. Her top position was secured after a relatively quiet draw against Bibisara Assaubayeva in the seventh round. The day’s only decisive outcome came from Vaishali Rameshbabu, who capitalized on a late misstep by Tan Zhongyi to strategically move into a clear second position. Other matches featured lengthy and intensely fought draws, including a remarkable 135-move marathon contest between Divya Deshmukh and Kateryna Lagno.