Javokhir Sindarov — the Uzbek jewel taking FIDE Chess Candidates 2026 by storm
Javokhir Sindarov — whose name, Javohir in Uzbek, translates to ‘jewel’ — is living up to it, as the 20-year-old outplayed World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana in the fourth round of the FIDE Candidates 2026 in Cyprus on Wednesday.
Sindarov began the tournament with a live rating of 2745 as World No. 11, and as the Candidates heads into the rest day on Thursday, he has climbed to sixth with a live rating of 2759. He also leads the standings with 3.5 points from four rounds.
“I played a good game [against Caruana]. I got lucky after the position and had a big-time advantage. I was confident about my chances, although I probably made some mistakes in the middle of the game. The position was very hard,” Sindarov said in the post-match press conference.
ALSO READ: FIDE Candidates 2026, Round 4: Sindarov defeats Caruana to take sole lead
Sindarov’s rise also comes at a time when Uzbekistan has begun to host major events such as the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz and the Grand Swiss, providing its players with exposure at the highest level. He acknowledged the role of government backing in this progress.
“Over the last two or three years, the Government’s support has been really good. They have created opportunities to work with the best coaches, and in my opinion it helps us learn and perform better. We also have a strong team for the Olympiad,” he said.
The Uzbek had already drawn attention after defeating R Praggnanandhaa with the black pieces in Round Three, and carried that momentum into his clash against the higher-ranked Caruana. He kept his composure, timed his central break to perfection and converted sustained pressure into a commanding victory.
“I never imagined I’d go into the rest day with +3, but I prepared very well. I need to play with full focus in the remaining rounds,” he added.
Sindarov built his advantage through active rook play and a well-timed kingside push to outmanoeuvre the American, with whom he had drawn in 31 moves at the 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss.
“It is always hard to prepare against Fabi because he can play so many lines,” he said.
Sindarov qualified for the 2026 Candidates after beating compatriot Nodirbek Yakubboev in the semifinal and China’s Wei Yi in the final of the 2025 FIDE World Cup. He clinched the title in the rapid tiebreaks, winning 1.5-0.5 after two drawn classical games, and lost just one game across the tournament.
The Candidates will determine the challenger to D Gukesh’s World Championship title. When asked about his chances against Gukesh, Sindarov declined to look too far ahead, saying the tournament is still ongoing.
Published on Apr 02, 2026