Sindarov to Compete in the US Ahead of World Championship Match
Sport
Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov will compete in the Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri, from October 27 to 29. The tournament will be his final major test before facing India’s Gukesh Dommaraju in a match for the world chess championship title.
The event will take place at the St. Louis Chess Club and feature four grandmasters: Sindarov, American players Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana, and India’s Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. Each participant will play 18 rapid games, with six scheduled for each day.
Every player will face each of the three opponents twice daily, playing one game with White and one with Black. The time control is 10 minutes per game, with a five-second increment added after every move.
The tournament’s distinctive feature is its progressive scoring system. A win will be worth one point on the opening day, two points on the second day and three points on the final day. Draws will earn half a point, one point and one point, respectively. The format places greater emphasis on the closing stage, when a single victory can significantly affect the final standings.
Players will also receive cash bonuses for wins: $1,000 on October 27, $2,000 on October 28 and $3,000 on October 29. The total prize fund is $425,000. The winner will receive $125,000, the runner-up $94,000, the third-place finisher $72,000 and the fourth-place finisher $62,000.
The first games are scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Tashkent time on October 27. The event will give Sindarov an opportunity to test his form against elite opposition shortly before the most important match of his season.
His world championship match against Gukesh Dommaraju is scheduled to take place in Geneva from November 22 to December 13. The St. Louis tournament will provide the Uzbek grandmaster with additional competitive practice as he prepares to challenge for the world title.
Every player will face each of the three opponents twice daily, playing one game with White and one with Black. The time control is 10 minutes per game, with a five-second increment added after every move.
The tournament’s distinctive feature is its progressive scoring system. A win will be worth one point on the opening day, two points on the second day and three points on the final day. Draws will earn half a point, one point and one point, respectively. The format places greater emphasis on the closing stage, when a single victory can significantly affect the final standings.
Players will also receive cash bonuses for wins: $1,000 on October 27, $2,000 on October 28 and $3,000 on October 29. The total prize fund is $425,000. The winner will receive $125,000, the runner-up $94,000, the third-place finisher $72,000 and the fourth-place finisher $62,000.
The first games are scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Tashkent time on October 27. The event will give Sindarov an opportunity to test his form against elite opposition shortly before the most important match of his season.
His world championship match against Gukesh Dommaraju is scheduled to take place in Geneva from November 22 to December 13. The St. Louis tournament will provide the Uzbek grandmaster with additional competitive practice as he prepares to challenge for the world title.
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