Javokhir Sindarov wins FIDE Chess World Cup

Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov became the youngest player to win the Chess World Cup when he beat China’s Wei Yi in the final’s tiebreak in Goa on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old chess prodigy, who became a grandmaster at the age of 12, was seeded sixteenth in the World Cup which saw top seeds fall like nine pins before the knockouts. He played compatriot Nodirbek Yakubboev in the semifinals which he won on tiebreaks.

He qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament by making the final alongside Wei Yi.

Sindarov won the second 15’+10” Rapid tie-break against the Chinese grandmaster to win the Finals.

Sindarov is the third teenager to clinch a major title in the chess world in the past year, with Gukesh winning the World Championship last year and Divya Deshmukh winning the Women’s Chess World Cup earlier this year.

Published on Nov 26, 2025