R Vaishali Takes Sole Lead at FIDE Grand Swiss

Grandmaster R Vaishali surged ahead in the women's section of the prestigious FIDE Grand Swiss, securing a victorious outcome against Austria's Olga Bedelka. This triumph marks Vaishali's third consecutive win, establishing her as the sole leader with 3 points.

Elsewhere, Vantika Agrawal faced a setback, succumbing to China's Yuxin Song, while D Harika played out a draw against Guo Qi, also of China. These results place Vantika and Harika at 1.5 points each, with Vaishali holding a marginal half-point advantage over the field.

In the open category, World Champion D Gukesh outmaneuvered Daniil Yuffa of Spain, leveraging the Ragozin defense to notch a decisive victory. This win propels Gukesh to 2.5 points, demonstrating superior strategy against Yuffa's bold advances.

(With inputs from agencies.)