New Delhi, 15 April (H.S.):

Rising Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov delivered a masterclass in the FIDE Candidates 2026 Open section, clinching the title on Tuesday with one round remaining. Drawing against Anish Giri in Round 13 secured his lead and the championship.

This triumph earns Sindarov the right to challenge reigning World Champion D. Gukesh in the forthcoming FIDE World Chess Championship.

Remarkably, Sindarov remained unbeaten throughout, extending his invincible run to 50 consecutive games.

Sindarov held a two-point lead entering Round 13. Giri needed a victory to keep the contest alive until the final round, but the draw clinched the title for Sindarov.

Giri opened with 1.e4, met by Sindarov's robust response. By move 15, multiple exchanges led to a queenless middlegame favoring Sindarov's strategy.

Giri pressed on the d-file, but Sindarov's precise defense neutralized every plan. The game transitioned to a rook-and-knight endgame offering no advantage, concluding in a draw after three-fold repetition.

In other games, Hikaru Nakamura drew with Matthias Bluebaum, Wei Yi defeated Andrei Esipenko, and R. Praggnanandhaa drew with Fabiano Caruana.

Sindarov's dominance catapults him to chess's grandest stage, with global anticipation building for his title clash against D. Gukesh.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar