Sindarov Rewrites Candidates Tournament History
Sport
Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov stunned American chess star Hikaru Nakamura and set a historic record at the 2026 Candidates Tournament, taking sole lead of the standings.
In round five, playing with the black pieces, he secured his fourth victory and reached 4.5 points out of 5 — the best start in the tournament’s history.
The key moment came in the opening, where Hikaru Nakamura spent more than an hour on move 13 but failed to find the optimal continuation. Javokhir Sindarov seized the initiative, gained both time and positional advantage, and confidently converted it into a win.
Earlier, he also defeated another top contender, Fabiano Caruana, further strengthening his lead.
As a result, Sindarov not only leads the tournament but has also entered the world’s top 5 rankings for the first time in his career.
The tournament is being held in Cyprus from March 29 to April 15. The winner will earn the right to challenge reigning world champion Dommaraju Gukesh for the title.
In round six, Javokhir Sindarov will face Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi with the black pieces.
The key moment came in the opening, where Hikaru Nakamura spent more than an hour on move 13 but failed to find the optimal continuation. Javokhir Sindarov seized the initiative, gained both time and positional advantage, and confidently converted it into a win.
Earlier, he also defeated another top contender, Fabiano Caruana, further strengthening his lead.
As a result, Sindarov not only leads the tournament but has also entered the world’s top 5 rankings for the first time in his career.
The tournament is being held in Cyprus from March 29 to April 15. The winner will earn the right to challenge reigning world champion Dommaraju Gukesh for the title.
In round six, Javokhir Sindarov will face Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi with the black pieces.
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