Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov has won the 2026 Candidates Chess Tournament, securing the right to challenge reigning world champion D Gukesh later this year.
The 20-year-old clinched victory in Paphos with a round to spare after drawing his 13th-round game against Anish Giri. Sindarov finished the tournament unbeaten, underlining his dominant performance.
His triumph sets up a highly anticipated World Chess Championship clash with Gukesh, who became the youngest world champion in history.
India’s R Praggnanandhaa was the only Indian participant in the tournament, having qualified by winning the 2025 FIDE Circuit.
Sindarov’s victory marks a major milestone for Uzbek chess and positions him among the leading figures in the global game.
Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura was left searching for answers during a tense clash at the Candidates tournament in Cyprus, spending more than an hour on a single move against Uzbekistan’s rising star Javokhir Sindarov.
