One By Two

Rameshbabu Vaishali – Divya Deshmukh
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026; Pegeia, April 8, 2026
Catalan Opening E01

1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 Nf6 3. Bb2 e6 4. c4 Bd6 5. g3 0-0 6. Bg2 c6 7. 0-0 Nbd7 8. d4 a5 9. Nc3 Ne4 10. Nxe4. A tough nut. 10. a4 f5 11. e3 b6 12. cxd5 Nxc3 13. Bxc3 cxd5 is comfortably equal for Black, Daneshvar – Bjerre, 4th FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament, Samarkand 2025
10. ... dxe4 11. Ne5 f5 12. f4!? (12. f3)
12. ... Nf6 (12. ... exf3 13. Nxf3 Nf6)
13. e3 Qe8. Deserving consideration was 13. ... Bd7 intending ... Bd7-e8-h5.
14. h3 b5 15. Rf2 Ba6 16. Rc1 bxc4 17. bxc4

17. ... Nd7? Admittedly a miscalculation. 17. ... c5 18. Bf1 gives White a pleasant game, but nothing transcendental.
18. Nxc6! Rc8. Black intended 18. ... Nb6 19. d5 Nxc4, but at the last moment noticed that White could play 20. Rxc4! Bxc4 21. Qd4 threatening both mate and the Bishop.
19. d5 Nc5 20. Qd4 Rf6?! Better was 20. ... Rf7 21. Rd2 exd5 22. cxd5 Nd3 23. Bf1⩲ with White’s advantage still within reasonable proportions.
21. Rd2 Rg6? Once again, 21. ... exd5 22. cxd5 Nd3 23. Bf1 was Black’s last chance to hang on to her seat.
22. Kh2 Nd3

23. Rxd3! exd3 24. c5 Rxc6. If the Bishop retreats to either b8 or f8, then 25. d6 is deadly.
25. dxc6 Bc7 26. Qd7 Qb8

27. Be5! Bxe5 28. Rb1! The pointe. The Rook is taboo because of mate on e8.
28. ... Qf8 29. fxe5 h5 30. Qd6 Qf7 31. Rb7! 1–0.

“Vaishali’s victory over compatriot Divya Deshmukh means that she remains in joint lead of the tournament — sharing the top spot with China’s 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) on 5½ points — with just five rounds left in Cyprus”, Amit Kamath wrote in The Indian Express of April 9. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.