Sindarov defeats Caruana to take the lead at Candidates Tournament
Sport
Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov has surged to the top of the FIDE Candidates 2026 after a key victory over one of the favorites, Fabiano Caruana.
The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 is underway in Paphos, Cyprus, from March 28 to April 16. The winner will earn the right to challenge reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju for the world chess title.
Sindarov has shown strong and consistent performance. In round 4 on April 1, he secured an important win against American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana.
This victory placed him in sole first place with 3.5 points after four rounds.
Caruana follows in second place with 2.5 points. Anish Giri, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and Matthias Bluebaum share third place with 2 points each. Hikaru Nakamura and Wei Yi have 1.5 points, while Andrey Esipenko stands at 1 point.
The next round will be a key test: on April 3, Sindarov will play with the black pieces against Hikaru Nakamura. The match is scheduled for 17:30 Tashkent time.
The tournament in Paphos is already proving highly competitive and unpredictable, with Sindarov emerging as one of the main contenders for a shot at the world chess title.
Sindarov has shown strong and consistent performance. In round 4 on April 1, he secured an important win against American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana.
This victory placed him in sole first place with 3.5 points after four rounds.
Caruana follows in second place with 2.5 points. Anish Giri, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and Matthias Bluebaum share third place with 2 points each. Hikaru Nakamura and Wei Yi have 1.5 points, while Andrey Esipenko stands at 1 point.
The next round will be a key test: on April 3, Sindarov will play with the black pieces against Hikaru Nakamura. The match is scheduled for 17:30 Tashkent time.
The tournament in Paphos is already proving highly competitive and unpredictable, with Sindarov emerging as one of the main contenders for a shot at the world chess title.
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