Pegeia (Cyprus), April 14 (IANS) Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov on Tuesday secured the top spot in the 2026 FIDE Candidates tournament with a round to spare, thus qualifying to challenge India’s Gukesh Dommaraju in the World Championship Final Match later this year.

In the 13th and penultimate round played at Pegeia in Cyprus, Sindarov drew with Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri to take his tally to 9.5 points, an unbeatable lead over the next-placed opponent. Giri is placed second with 7.5 points, while American Fabiano Caruana and China’s Wei Yi are following next with 6.5 points.

India’s lone representative in the men’s section, R. Praggnanandhaa, had a disappointing debut in the Candidates and is placed seventh going into the final round.

In other results in the round, only Wei Yi won against Andrey Esipenko, while the rest of the boards ended in draws.

Sindarov quietly built the momentum in the tournament with a consistent performance — scoring important wins against India’s R Praggnanandhaa, where he displayed an aggressive and fearless game. That win helped him extend his lead and set the tone for the rest of his campaign. Even when he faced a stiff challenge from Matthias Blübaum, he managed to hold on and keep his advantage.

In the final stages of the tournament, Sindarov showed maturity by playing safely. Instead of taking unnecessary risks, he settled for draws against strong players like Fabiano Caruana. A careful approach helped him maintain his lead and secure the title without any major trouble.

With this victory, Sindarov has earned the right to challenge Gukesh Dommaraju in the 2026 World Chess Championship. This match later this year is going to be a “battle of the youngsters”.

In the women’s section, the competition is much closer. R Vaishali and A. Bibisara are tied for the top spot with 7.5 points while China’s Zhu Jiner (7 points) is in hot pursuit with all three having a chance of winning the Candidates. The results in the final final round will decide the winner.

–IANS

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