IMAGE: Javokhir Sindarov stormed to victory in the Candidates Tournament to set up a World Championship match against India’s D Gukesh. Photograph: Niki Riga/FIDE
Key Points
- Javokhir Sindarov won six of his 13 games without losing any in a dominant performance never seen at the Candidates.
- Sindarov moved to 9.5 points, two clear of second-placed Giri on 7.5.
- Gukesh won the World title in 2024, defeating China’s Ding Liren in the 14th and final game of their match.
Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov clinched victory in the Candidates Tournament with a round to spare on Tuesday, drawing with Dutchman Anish Giri to set up a World Championship match against India’s D Gukesh.
The 20-year-old stormed through the event in Cyprus, winning six of his 13 games and losing none in a dominant performance never seen at the Candidates.
Sindarov moved to 9.5 points, two clear of second-placed Giri on 7.5 after the Dutchman failed to convert a winning position against China’s Wei Yi in the previous round.
The tournament had been seen as a possible last opportunity for the old guard to mount another challenge for the world title, but Americans Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura never seriously threatened.
Gukesh won the title in 2024, defeating China’s Ding Liren in the 14th and final game of their match. Ding had himself become champion by beating Ian Nepomniachtchi after Magnus Carlsen, the five-time champion who remains world number one, relinquished the crown, citing a lack of motivation.
While Sindarov’s breakthrough and the broader rise of a younger generation are likely to fuel fresh speculation about a Carlsen comeback, the Norwegian has said he has no intention of returning to the classical world championship cycle.
A precise date and a venue for the World Championship match have yet to be announced.
