Sindarov Javokhir has done it! This 20-year-old Uzbekistani grandmaster claimed victory at the Candidates’ tournament of 2026 in Cyprus ahead of schedule. He had won six games and drew eight to seal his place as challenger to the current world champion, D Gukesh, with a game still to go.
Starting from the very first round, the tournament became very interesting. Fabiano Caruana won an exciting game in the endgame position from Hikaru Nakamura, while Javokhir Sindarov and R Praggnanandhaa won their first games of the tournament. However, it was Sindarov who managed to impress everyone by making a record-fast start in the history of the Candidates, collecting 3.5/4 points.
By round five, he had already dispatched Caruana and Nakamura back-to-back. But more importantly, it wasn’t just the victory, it was the manner of victory that spoke volumes. It was clear that he had done his homework and maintained a steady nerve.
Controversy was never far away during the tournament either. Not only did Nakamura earn his place by virtue of local US tournaments, he didn’t make life easy for himself with a poor showing in Cyprus. Meanwhile, the impressive Caruana suffered two defeats back-to-back to Nakamura and Anish Giri, while Wei Yi gave signs of genius in a dramatic queenside attack on Esipenko.
Sindarov was already leading the pack at the halfway stage and remained so from then on. In the end, his consistency paid off, with six wins, eight draws, and no losses giving him top honors. His victory was virtually confirmed when he drew calmly against Giri in round 13.
Key Moment from the Tournament
With the blacks, Sindarov played into a Queen’s Gambit Declined position, demonstrating his preparation and belief in himself. The opening was characterized by Giri sacrificing his queen at move 20 with Qxa6, which would be remembered later as the key turning point: “After he exchanged queens, I didn’t have any pressure. I felt very comfortable during the game.”
The draw took place after move 58. The handshake between the two men represented the official beginning of Sindarov’s challenge for the World Chess Championship 2026. With a record score of 10 out of 14 points and no losses, Sindarov had one of the strongest results in the Candidates’ tournament.
Sindarov Javokhir: Rising Talent from Uzbekistan
Having become the youngest ever grandmaster in 2017, Sindarov continues developing impressively. Over the past two years, his progress has noticeably accelerated.
The young player was included in the Uzbek national Olympic team, which took gold medals in the tournament in 2022, became the winner of the FIDE World Cup 2025 and, as we see, has earned the title of Candidate.
However, what is more impressive than the results themselves is the development of Sindarov’s style, which once was slightly inconsistent. Today, he appears to be a fully-fledged competitor, demonstrating excellent preparation, decent defense and a cool temper in difficult situations. The absence of defeats in Cyprus proves it.
Having won, the young man summed up as follows:
“If you asked me about it a year ago, I wouldn’t believe in myself. I’ve made great progress over the past year. I like how I play chess and I want to keep improving.”
Best Tournament Moment
In round 13, playing against Anish Giri, he sealed his place in style. This was not an easy game, but not a hard one either. Sindarov managed to exchange the queens and safely navigate through the rest of the moves to ensure a draw.
And yet, a draw proved to be sufficient to take the first place and solidify his place as the upcoming contender for the world title.
The Future: Clash of Talents
The 2026 World Chess Championship promises to be an exciting one. Not only are both Sindarov and Gukesh only 20 years old, but their upcoming match will mark the youngest World Championship match in the history of chess.
It also demonstrates how the game and its community evolve.
India, led by Gukesh, took the Candidates 2024 tournament, Olympic Gold medal in 2024, and, surprisingly enough, World Champion title in 2024.
The Uzbekistan team showed the same results, winning the Olympic Gold in 2022, Sindarov’s World Cup in 2025, and now the Candidates tournament.
All in all, this is sure to be a very exciting game.
As GM Srinath Narayanan said:
“They are of similar age and have similar paths. We have watched them grow up all this time. It is amazing that two young boys like that will fight for the title of the World Champion.”
Sindarov was not only the winner of the competition but was in full control of his game throughout the entire competition without any losses. Stay tuned for more news from The New England Chess School!