Uzbek sensation Javokhir Sindarov is not simply successful video games however making a mockery of the Candidates Event 2026, happening in Cyprus. On Saturday, the youngest participant within the occasion crushed China’s Wei Yi within the sixth spherical for his fifth win. With 5.5 factors from six video games, he now leads his nearest rival by a full 1.5 factors. And this towards the very best gamers on the earth, with a World Championship shot on the road.
Simply months after breaking Chinese language hearts within the FIDE World Cup summit conflict in Goa, Sindarov did it once more. And this time, with much more eyeballs pinned on him, he made certain nobody mistook it for a fluke as his juggernaut simply retains rolling.
Commentating on the match for the Chessbase India YouTube channel stream, Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi watched in awe.
When requested to choose a single decisive second, Vidit, no stranger to the stress cooker of a Candidates event, having featured within the earlier version in Toronto, mentioned, “There have been a couple of small choices. Permitting the double pawns was attention-grabbing. However I actually preferred the bishop g4 transfer.”
On the floor, Bishop g4 value Sindarov a pawn. Vidit famous that it could have been a tempting choice to go for a realistic Rook a3, a transfer that results in dynamic equality and, in all probability, a draw. However Sindarov wasn’t fascinated by pragmatism or wanted a security hook. He was all in for blood.
Sindarov sees chaos not as a useful resource and never as a threat.
Javokhir Sindarov in motion towards China Wei Yi on the 2026 Candidates. (FIDE/Yoav Nis)
“He discovered such a sensible means of taking part in… bishop g4, trade the knight, put the bishop on d4 assessing this dynamic construction,” Vidit mentioned. “To not be fearful of this f6 pawn. You might have long-term compensation. I consider he is excellent at it,” mentioned Vidit
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India’s lone hope within the Open part, R Praggnanandhaa, in his second Candidates’ look, wanted a spark. What he produced as a substitute was a dull draw towards American Hikaru Nakamura.
For the second consecutive spherical, Pragg did not extract any juice from his place. Towards a participant of Nakamura’s expertise, a draw isn’t a shame, however context is all the pieces. With Sindarov pulling away from the pack, each passive end result looks like a give up.
At this price, Pragg’s dream of a World Championship shot is already slipping into the realm of mathematical miracles. And Sindarov’s type, an Indo-Uzbek conflict for the world crown now appears much more possible than an all-Indian one.
Whereas the Open part turned out to be one other hopeless day for Indians, the ladies’s Candidates introduced some much-needed reduction. Each Indian gamers within the occasion, Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali, lastly notched up their first wins of the event.
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Vaishali’s sport towards Kateryna Lagno was absolute chaos. Enjoying the Bishop’s Opening with the black items, the sport ebbed and flowed each methods earlier than Vaishali lastly pressured her opponent to resign from a dropping place on transfer 47.
The important thing spotlight was Vaishali’s bishop sacrifice, not as soon as, however twice. Chess.com deemed each strikes “brilliancies.” She first chopped off Lagno’s pawn on h3, providing the sacrifice. When the Russian declined, Vaishali tried once more two strikes later. This time, Lagno obliged. It was removed from a clear sport, however Vaishali will gladly take the complete level.
Praggnanandhaa in motion towards Hikaru Nakamura on the 2026 Candidates. (FIDE/Yoav Nis)
Similar to Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh additionally received with the black items, beating Bibisara Assaubayeva handy the Kazakh GM her second straight loss, after Lagno had crushed her within the earlier spherical. It was a protracted grind within the Queen’s Gambit Declined, the place Divya was terrific underneath time stress, forcing errors from Bibisara.
Divya delivered underneath extreme time stress. At one level, she had simply over 5 minutes left with 11 strikes nonetheless to go earlier than the time management. But, the Indian was on the prime of her sport and nerves, seizing the initiative. Assaubayeva had greater than double the time on her clock however cracked in the direction of the fag finish of the sport. With a meticulous endgame, Divya ensured she levelled with compatriot Vaishali, each now on 3 factors from six rounds.
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In the meantime, Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk, the Eleventh-hour substitute for India’s Koneru Humpy, continues to have a powerful present. She registered her second win of the event, knocking down China’s Zhu Jiner with the black items and ending Zhu’s two-match successful streak. What was a three-way tie on the prime between Zhu, Muzychuk, and Kateryna Lagno after spherical 5 now sees the Ukrainian having fun with the only lead.
Within the Open part, Fabiano Caruana was held to a draw by Andrey Esipenko, widening his hole with chief Sindarov. On the opposite board, Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum drew with Anish Giri.