HE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a summary of round seven out of fourteen of the 2026 Candidates Tournament. At the halfway point, Javakir Sundarov is leading the men's section with five and a half out of six points. If he draws today, he will achieve the "67" meme, which is a popular two-digit combination. In the women's section, the standings are much closer. In the first game, Sundarov (White) played the Queen's Gambit Declined against Anish Giri (Black), who opted for the aggressive Ragozin Defense. Sundarov played a solid line, aiming for queenside pressure and a calm game. Giri responded by attacking the center with C5. After some exchanges and a queen trade, Sundarov had two rooks and two knights against Giri's two split isolated pawns. Sundarov applied strong pressure, and at one point, could have aimed for a dangerous attack on Giri's king. However, he rushed some moves, underestimating Giri's defensive resources. Giri found a shocking defensive resource by sacrificing his rook, leading to a drawn endgame of rook versus bishop with all pawns on the same side. This result gave Sundarov six out of seven points. Next, Bluebaum played against Hikaru. Bluebaum opened with a Queen's Gambit Declined, and Hikaru, playing black, chose a solid but not aggressive line. Hikaru spent a significant amount of time in the opening but found the best moves. Bluebaum managed to gain a pawn, and while Hikaru faced some questions in his position, he defended well. Bluebaum attempted a flashy move with bishop B6, but Hikaru found a way to run away from any mating threats. The game eventually ended in a draw. Hikaru is three and a half points behind the leader, making it difficult for him to catch up with only seven rounds remaining. The game between Yesipenko and Wei Yi was particularly dramatic. Yesipenko, playing White in a Petroff Defense, made a significant mistake by moving his bishop back to D2, allowing Wei Yi to play Queen E8. This move put Yesipenko in a nearly lost position, as it created undefendable threats to his king. Wei Yi, reminiscent of his earlier form, aggressively attacked Yesipenko's king. Wei Yi made several strong moves, including sacrificing a rook with Rook C4, which the computer initially questioned but was part of a larger, brilliant attack. Wei Yi then made another brilliant move, Knight E7, leaving the rook undefended, which would lead to a fatal light-square infiltration if captured. The computer suggested an absurd winning move for black, Bishop A3, which would remove White's ability to push pawns and lead to a quick win. Wei Yi, however, played G4 and then B4, sacrificing the rook again, which Yesipenko took. Wei Yi then continued with Bishop takes and Bishop D3, infiltrating and ultimately winning the game with a devastating attack on the light squares. Yesipenko is now on two out of seven points, making him a target for other players. In the game between Praggnanandhaa and Fabiano Caruana, Fabi (Black) chose an original and obscure line in the Open Slav Defense, aiming for a win. Fabi's opening put Praggnanandhaa under time pressure as he had never seen this move order. Fabi's plan involved playing Knight B4 and Rook D8, avoiding the central pawn push. Praggnanandhaa responded by trying to trade the light-squared bishop. After some tactical exchanges, the game reached a complex position where Praggnanandhaa castled, pinning Fabi's knight. Despite all the tactical drama, the game ended in a draw. In the women's section, the games were fascinating. In the first game, Anamuzuk (Black) played very solidly against BBSara (White) in a Sicilian Defense, and the game ended in a draw, giving Muzuchuk four and a half out of seven points. The game between Vaishali and Tan Zhongyi was wild. Vaishali, with White, played a sharp line with F4 in the Philidor/Pirc Defense. Tan Zhongyi (Black) responded with counter-punching moves in the center. Vaishali went for a rook sacrifice, which led to a complex position where Tan Zhongyi built a winning advantage. However, Tan Zhongyi, under time pressure, made an incorrect move with Knight E4, allowing Vaishali to trade pieces and equalize the position. Tan Zhongyi then blundered with Rook A1, placing her rook on the same diagonal as her pieces, leading to a lost position for her. Vaishali snapped off the bishop and went on to win the game, putting her on four points and in contention for the tournament win. Finally, the game between Goryachkina and Lei Tingjie (Drew Jiner) was a high-level battle in the Spanish Ruy Lopez. Black chose the Open Ruy Lopez, and after some peculiar exchanges, White gained a knight for a bishop, a small but felt advantage. Goryachkina, playing in a Capablanca-style, tried to win the endgame with her knight versus bishop advantage. Lei Tingjie defended well, creating counterplay and ultimately holding the draw. Both players moved to three and a half points. The last game of the day, between Divya Deshmukh and Kateryna Lagno, was still ongoing at the time of the recap. Divya, playing White, adopted a provocative English Opening and won a pawn early. She had a significant advantage, but Lagno defended fantastically, creating a perfect defensive setup. Divya missed some stronger moves and eventually lost her extra pawn, leading to a drawn endgame. Lagno incorrectly claimed a three-fold repetition, but the game continued. It was expected to end in a draw. At the halfway point, Sundarov is clearly leading the men's section, with Fabiano Caruana being the only one with a realistic chance to catch him. In the women's section, Muzuchuk leads with four and a half points, followed by Vaishali with four points, and several players on three and a half points, making it a much closer race.