Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov has become the first recipient of the FIDE Excellence Awards, a new biennial prize established by the International Chess Federation in 2026. The inaugural awards featured 11 categories covering achievements by players, teams, federations, tournaments, and other members of the chess community.

One of Sindarov's standout achievements during the qualifying period was his victory at the 2025 FIDE World Cup in Goa. The tournament drew 206 players, and in the final the Uzbek faced Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi. After draws in both classical games, the winner was decided on tiebreak, where Sindarov prevailed. This success made him the youngest-ever FIDE World Cup winner and earned him a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

At the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, Sindarov delivered another historic performance. He secured first place with a round to spare, remained unbeaten, and scored 10 points out of 14. By winning, he earned the right to challenge reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju for the chess crown. He became the first Uzbek to reach a match for the absolute world championship.

Another major success came in September, when Sindarov helped Uzbekistan win the open section of the home World Chess Olympiad. In the final round, the Uzbek team defeated Ukraine 2.5–1.5 to claim Olympic gold for the second time in history, following their 2022 triumph in Chennai. However, the 2026 Olympiad result fell outside the period considered for the FIDE Excellence Awards, which covered achievements from September 2024 to August 2026.

The selection process began with an open nomination phase, after which a jury compiled shortlists of ten candidates per category. The final laureates were determined by a special FIDE Excellence Awards expert commission.

Source: uznews.uz