R Praggnanandhaa began his 2026 FIDE Candidates tournament with a win over Anish Giri, demonstrating his dominance over the game. The victory was seen as an early marker in the tournament, helping to raise concerns about Pragagnanandhra's form and mental state. In the second round, Pragganananda will face China's Wei Yi, having the black pieces. Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali also began their games with draws against Anna Muzychuk and Bibisara Assaubayeva. All four games in the women's section ended in draws.