Javokhir Sindarov Earns World Chess Title Shot With Stunning Candidates Win

Javokhir Sindarov will situation for Gukesh Dommaraju’s world chess title this autumn aft clinching nan Candidates tourney pinch a crippled to spare connected Tuesday day successful Cyprus.

The 20-year-old Uzbek grandmaster closed retired an emphatic triumph successful nan the 14-game double round-robin pinch a tame 58-move tie playing pinch nan achromatic pieces against Dutch prima Anish Giri, moving to 9½ points and leaving nan world No 9 2 adrift pinch 1 information remaining astatine nan Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort.

“After he exchanged queens [20 Qxa6] ... I didn’t person immoderate pressure,” Sindarov said afterwards. “I felt very comfortable during nan game.”

Giri, who remained successful mathematical contention entering Tuesday’s penultimate round, had missed a chance to constrictive nan spread aft failing to person a winning position against China’s Wei Yi a time earlier.

Sindarov’s wire-to-wire triumph successful nan formation edifice municipality of Peyia was built connected a commanding, unbeaten tally done nan eight-man field: six wins and 7 draws from 13 games, a level of power seldom seen connected nan cutthroat Candidates stage. He will adjacent retired his tourney pinch a dormant rubber connected Wednesday playing arsenic achromatic against Wei.

The tourney had been billed arsenic a imaginable past guidelines for nan established elite, but Americans Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura ne'er mounted a sustained challenge, underlining nan accelerating displacement toward a younger procreation astatine nan apical of nan game.

Gukesh became nan youngest world champion successful history erstwhile he dethroned China’s Ding Liren successful Singapore 2 years ago, breaking nan erstwhile property grounds held by Garry Kasparov, who was 22 erstwhile he defeated Anatoly Karpov successful 1985.

Their showdown had marked nan first clip successful nan 138-year history of world title matchplay that 2 men from Asia competed for nan sport’s astir prestigious title. Now it will hap for a 2nd world title lucifer successful a row. Both players will beryllium nether 21 erstwhile they meet, apt successful November, pinch Gukesh astir six months younger than Sindarov.

Ding had claimed nan crown by defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi aft Magnus Carlsen, nan five-time champion who has been classed No 1 for astir 15 consecutive years, opted retired of nan title cycle, citing a deficiency of information to spell done nan months-long slog of mentation that world title matches demand. While nan emergence of Sindarov and his contemporaries is apt to renew speculation complete a comeback, Carlsen has many times said he has nary volition of returning.

The triumph marks nan latest precocious successful a career-best twelvemonth for Sindarov, who has climbed to a career-best No 11 successful nan world rankings aft pursuing a breakthrough triumph astatine past year’s Fide World Cup pinch a runner-up decorativeness astatine nan Tata Steel tourney successful Wijk aan Zee. By contrast, Gukesh’s results person floundered, including a joint-last showing successful March astatine nan Prague International Chess Festival wherever he won only 1 of 9 games.

“My capacity successful nan past fewer events has been rather disappointing, not conscionable for me, but for each of you who support me,” Gukesh wrote connected Instagram past month. “In bid to find my champion shape my squad and I person decided that I should compete pinch somewhat little strength complete nan adjacent fewer months.”

Sindarov brings location nan winner’s stock of €70,000 ($82,582) from nan €700,000 prize fund, on pinch an further €5,000 for each half-point scored. Asked whether it had sunk successful that he will beryllium playing for nan biggest title successful world chess, Sindarov was to nan point.

“If you asked maine this mobility a twelvemonth ago, I would person ne'er believed this,” he said. “But successful nan past twelvemonth I’ve really improved my chess. I’m very happy pinch my chess skills. I will effort to play amended and better.”

The day and big metropolis for nan best-of-14-games world title lucifer person yet to beryllium confirmed.