Ukrainian chess player Anna Muzychuk remains at the top of the standings in the 2026 Candidates Tournament after drawing with Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Asaubaeva in the seventh round.
Prior to this match, Muzychuk secured her position as the sole leader by defeating China’s Zhu Jiner in the sixth round while playing with black pieces. This victory allowed her to take the lead in the tournament.
The pivotal moment in her match against Asaubaeva came during the 22nd move, when the Kazakh player moved her rook to R7d8. Subsequently, Asaubaeva repeated moves between Rd8 and R7d8 three times, resulting in a draw due to the threefold repetition rule.
This draw keeps Muzychuk ahead in the tournament standings, leading by half a point over India’s Vaishali Rameshbabu as the tournament reaches its midpoint.
2026 Candidates Tournament Standings After Round 7:
- Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) — 4.5 points
- Vaishali Rameshbabu (India) — 4 points
- Zhu Jiner (China) — 3 points
- Alexandra Goryachkina — 3 points
- Bibisara Asaubaeva (Kazakhstan) — 3 points
- Kateryna Lagno — 3 points
- Divya Deshmukh (India) — 3 points
- Tan Zhongyi (China) — 2.5 points
Following the seventh round, the players will have a rest day. Muzychuk’s next match will be against India’s Divya Deshmukh on Tuesday, April 7.
Anna Muzychuk continues to lead the 2026 Candidates Tournament after a draw with Bibisara Asaubaeva. She is half a point ahead of India's Vaishali Rameshbabu as the tournament progresses.