In the 13th and penultimate round played at Pegeia in Cyprus, Sindarov drew with Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri to take his tally to 9.5 points, an unbeatable lead over the next-placed opponent. Giri is placed second with 7.5 points, while American Fabiano Caruana and China's Wei Yi are following next with 6.5 points. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
India's lone representative in the men's section, R. Praggnanandhaa, had a disappointing debut in the Candidates and is placed seventh going into the final round.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In other results in the round, only Wei Yi won against Andrey Esipenko, while the rest of the boards ended in draws.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sindarov quietly built the momentum in the tournament with a consistent performance -- scoring important wins against India's R Praggnanandhaa, where he displayed an aggressive and fearless game. That win helped him extend his lead and set the tone for the rest of his campaign. Even when he faced a stiff challenge from Matthias Bl\u00fcbaum, he managed to hold on and keep his advantage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the final stages of the tournament, Sindarov showed maturity by playing safely. Instead of taking unnecessary risks, he settled for draws against strong players like Fabiano Caruana. A careful approach helped him maintain his lead and secure the title without any major trouble.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sindarov quietly built the momentum in the tournament with a consistent performance -- scoring important wins against India's R Praggnanandhaa, where he displayed an aggressive and fearless game. That win helped him extend his lead and set the tone for the rest of his campaign. Even when he faced a stiff challenge from Matthias Bl\u00fcbaum, he managed to hold on and keep his advantage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the women\u2019s section, the competition is much closer. R Vaishali and A. Bibisara are tied for the top spot with 7.5 points while China's Zhu Jiner (7 points) is in hot pursuit with all three having a chance of winning the Candidates. The results in the final final round will decide the winner.<\/p>\r\n\r\n