Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov is delivering impressive results at the 2026 Candidates Chess Tournament. After five rounds, he has accumulated 4.5 points, maintaining sole leadership. This performance has propelled him to 5th place in the world rankings, fulfilling one of his stated goals from earlier in the year. Sindarov's success is attributed not only to his playing skill but also to his unconventional preparation methods.

Discussing his approach, Sindarov emphasized a focus on intensive pre-game work over long-term planning. He stated, “Actually, I didn’t spend that much time before the tournament, but I have an understanding of how to play against each opponent. Instead, I work hard before the games. I like it; before every round, I always prepare very intensely, and it’s paying off.” According to him, this strategy enabled precise and confident play against top contenders like Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana.

Sindarov’s game against Nakamura was particularly notable. The Uzbek grandmaster anticipated an aggressive variation from his opponent but was fully prepared for a logical move involving castling. Sindarov explained, “When he chose this variation, I assumed there were new ideas in it. But perhaps he didn’t remember the castling, spent an hour thinking, and made the wrong move. After that, I used the advantage and played very well.” He described Nakamura’s 67-minute deliberation over the h4 move as an unexpected situation, highlighting an analytical error by the American player.

In his interview, Nakamura attributed the loss to a technical mistake in preparation. He said, “This is 100% my team’s fault. I had a preparation file, and the castling move (12…0-0) wasn’t indicated there. When Javokhir made this move, I thought, ‘What is this even?’ It’s just an unbelievable situation.” Nakamura expressed frustration that such an error occurred at the prestigious Candidates Tournament but affirmed his intention to continue competing.

Sindarov’s achievements have garnered significant attention in the chess world. The 13th World Champion Garry Kasparov wrote on social media X, “At this stage, an amazing result! One shouldn’t underestimate the role confidence plays after a strong start. You begin to trust your intuition more, and a positive cycle emerges: intuition enhances the game, and the game enhances intuition.” Sindarov has now become the primary target for all participants, with his closest pursuer being Fabiano Caruana at 3.5 points. On April 4, in the 6th round, Sindarov will play black against Wei Yi, a crucial test to solidify his lead.

The tournament is being held in Cyprus from March 29 to April 15, featuring eight of the world’s top grandmasters competing for a prize fund of 500,000 euros and the right to challenge reigning world champion Dommaraju Gukesh. Sindarov’s early results demonstrate his potential to achieve these high stakes, but with the tournament not yet halfway through, subsequent rounds will test his endurance and strategic adaptability.

Source: www.gazeta.uz