Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov has been shortlisted for two categories of the inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards — "Best Chess Player" and "Discovery of the Year." The winners will be announced in September in Samarkand during the award ceremony held alongside the 46th Chess Olympiad.
Sindarov's participation in international tournaments, preparation, and training sessions with coaches are supported by the National Bank of Uzbekistan.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) established the FIDE Excellence Awards for the first time in 2026. The award is presented once every two years for achievements over a two-year cycle. The first award covers the period from September 2024 to August 2026.
After the public nomination process concluded in June, FIDE reviewed applications and compiled shortlists. Each of the 11 categories features ten candidates selected by a special jury.
Over the past two years, Sindarov has significantly strengthened his position in the world chess elite. In September 2024, his classical chess rating was 2677 points; by July 2026, it had reached 2777 points. During this period, he increased his rating by 100 points, rising to fourth place among active chess players worldwide and becoming, according to FIDE, the top player in Uzbekistan and Asia.
Sindarov's main achievement in 2025 was winning the FIDE World Cup in Goa. In the final, he defeated Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi on tiebreaks, becoming the youngest winner in the tournament's history at age 19. This result also earned him a spot in the Candidates Tournament. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev awarded him the honorary title "Honored Athlete of the Republic of Uzbekistan."
In April 2026, Sindarov won the Candidates Tournament ahead of schedule, earning the right to play Gukesh Dommaraju for the world champion title. The Uzbek leader awarded him the "Mehnat Shuhrati" order.
In the "Best Chess Player" category, Sindarov is joined by another Uzbek representative Nodirbek Abdusattorov, as well as Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Arjun Erigaisi, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Gukesh Dommaraju, Vincent Keymer, and Rameshbabu Pragnanandhaa.
Photo: Michal Walusza / FIDE
Sindarov also competes for the "Discovery of the Year" award. His rivals in this category are Divya Deshmukh, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, Faustino Oro, Gukesh Dommaraju, Anastasiya Gnatyshyn, Vincent Keymer, Volodar Murzin, Andy Woodward, and Zhu Xiner.
Uzbekistan is also represented in other categories. The Chess Federation of Uzbekistan is nominated for Best Federation, the national men's team for Best Team, and the UzChess Cup for Best Round-Robin Tournament.
The shortlist for the Best Round-Robin Tournament also includes Biel Chess Festival, Cairns Cup, Grand Chess Tour, London Chess Classic, Norway Chess, Prague International Chess Festival, Sinquefield Cup, Tata Steel Chess Tournament, and TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament.
In the next stage, the FIDE Excellence Awards expert council will determine the winners in all categories through voting.
The award ceremony will take place in September 2026 in Samarkand, concurrently with the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad.
Source: www.gazeta.uz