Javokhir Sindarov wins Clutch Chess showdown before world title match
Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov won the 2026 Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown in St. Louis, United States, earning $168,000 in prize money and bonuses just weeks before his World Chess Championship match.
The 20-year-old finished the three-day tournament on October 29 with 20.5 points, overtaking India’s Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa on the final day after entering the last round of matches 2.5 points behind the leader.
Praggnanandhaa finished second with 19 points, followed by Americans Fabiano Caruana with 16.5 and Hikaru Nakamura with 12.
Javokhir Sindarov plays incredible chess to take down Praggnanandhaa and take the sole lead with 4 games left at Clutch Chess Champions Showdown! https://t.co/bB0RveMHyD
— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) October 29, 2026
The tournament brought together four leading grandmasters for rapid games played with 10 minutes per player plus five seconds added after each move.
Unlike conventional chess competitions, Clutch Chess awards increasingly more points for victories as the event progresses. A win was worth one point on the first day, two on the second and three on the final day.
That format allowed Sindarov to recover from his deficit by winning three games and drawing three on October 29.
Sindarov defeats Nakamura in decisive comeback
Sindarov began the final day with a draw and a victory against Praggnanandhaa before defeating Caruana and drawing their second encounter.
His most notable performance came against Nakamura, when the Uzbek grandmaster played the King’s Indian Defence with the black pieces and launched an attack involving several sacrifices.
What a beast. What a brilliant game by Sindarov. What a game, qué locura! https://t.co/Tc3xbnCR9e
— GM Renier Castellanos (@RenierCast) October 29, 2026
«The game was one of the best King’s Indian games I’ve ever played in my life,» Sindarov said after the match.
The victory moved Sindarov ahead in the standings, while Praggnanandhaa lost his final game against Caruana. Sindarov secured the title with a draw against Nakamura in the last round.
World championship match awaits in November
The St. Louis victory was Sindarov’s final competitive appearance before facing reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju of India for the world chess title.
The championship match is scheduled to begin on 24 November in Geneva, Switzerland. Sindarov earned the opportunity to challenge Gukesh after winning the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
