Javokhir Sindarov is set to return to competitive play as part of the Uzbekistan national team at the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championship, scheduled to take place from June 17 to 21 in Hong Kong. The team captain is Rustam Kasimdzhanov.

The tournament is considered a preparatory stage for the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, planned for September. Sindarov is the winner of the 2026 Candidates Tournament and the official challenger for the world chess crown. The grandmaster's preparation for international events, including work with the coaching staff, is supported by the National Bank of Uzbekistan.

After securing an early victory in the Candidates Tournament (one round before the finish), the 20-year-old grandmaster consolidated his success in May by sharing third place at the Super Chess Classic Romania in Bucharest with a score of 5 out of 9 points. In the June FIDE rating list, he achieved a personal best of fourth place in the world with 2777 points.

In June, Sindarov skipped the UzChess Cup in Tashkent; instead, Mukhiddin Madaminov, one of his seconds from the victorious Candidates Tournament, was included in the team. This allowed the chess player to take a break after an intense competitive period. During this time, he also visited Oslo to support Kazakh chess player Bibisara Assaubayeva at the Norway Chess Women tournament; Assaubayeva won the tournament early, also securing victory one round before the finish.

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championship is being held for the fourth time: the first tournament took place in 2023 in Düsseldorf, followed by Astana and London. In 2026, the championship will be held for the first time in East Asia, at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong. The main playing days are from June 17 to 21. The first three days will determine the strongest team in rapid, while June 20–21 will feature the blitz championship.

Source: kun.uz