FIDE Candidates 2026 R13: Javokhir Sindarov crowned as Champion with a round to spare

by Devansh Singh - 15/04/2026

Javokhir Sindarov has done it!! He won the FIDE Candidates 2026 with a round to spare. In the penultimate round, Sindarov drew against Anish Giri and won the event with a round to spare. By winning the tournament, Sindarov has earned the right to challenge D Gukesh for the World Championship. This will be the youngest World Championship match in history, with both players being around 20 years old. The average age of the clash will be 20 years and 9 months. The Women's section is set for an amazing final round, with Vaishali Rameshbabu and Bibisara Assaubayeva as joint leaders, while Zhu Jiner is in sole second place. On one side, we have a clear winner, Javokhir Sindarov, while on the other side, 5 players are still in a run for the title. Final round will start on 15th April at 15:45 Local Time/18:15 IST. Photos: Michal Walusza, Niki Riga/ FIDE

Now he can take some rest

Javokhir Sindarov played the best chess of his life in the most important tournament of his life. After winning the FIDE World Cup 2025, Sindarov proved himself a strong contender for the Candidates title, but he delivered a performance that few expected. But it looks like he was carrying the confidence of the World Cup and played even better here. In the first game, he was in trouble against Esipenko but managed to win. He drew his second game against Bluebaum and then won 4 games in a row. Now, after winning the Candidates 2026 and securing his spot in the World Championship match, he can finally take some rest.

Constant support!

Or as he said, "Tomorrow, it will be a game without any pressure. I will try to help and support Sara (Bibisara); she also has very good chances!

Open Section

In the Open Section, all eyes were on the game of Anish Giri and Javokhir Sindarov as Anish needed to win if he wanted to take the things to the last round. Anish tried, but Sindarov's strong defence was there to stop him. The game ended in a draw, and with this draw Sindarov secured first place. There was only one decisive game where Wei Yi won against Andrey Esipenko. Caruana Fabiano was clearly better against Praggnanandhaa, but the game ended in a draw. Hikaru Nakamura and Matthias Bluebaum played a solid draw.

and with this draw, he qualifies

Anish Giri vs Javokhir Sindarov (0.5-0.5)

Sindarov held a draw with the white pieces against Anish Giri. Despite some pressure from Giri, Sindarov showed incredible form and defensive precision to secure the half-point he needed. There was no practical chance for Anish to play the position to win, and the players decided to repeat the moves in the Rook endgame. Check out what happened in the game with some photos.

Isai Scheinberg made the ceremonial move on the board

and the game begins

As usual, Sindarov was fast in the opening phase of the game and easily got the equality with the black pieces

Anish tried his best to get some play and create some chances, but he was unable to do so

He knew that his chance to play in the world championship was over

While Sindarov was confident that he got this in his bag

And here comes the final handshake!!

Fabiano Caruana vs R Praggnanandhaa (0.5-0.5)

Praggnanandhaa and Fabiano Caruana played a wild game that eventually ended in a draw, despite Caruana having winning chances for much of the match.

Fabiano Caruana vs R Praggnanandhaa (0.5-0.5)

Wei Yi showed his defensive technique and won a nice game after Esipenko decided to sacrifice his piece.

Hikaru Nakamura vs Matthias Bluebaum (0.5-0.5)

The two people who are very happy today! FIDE Candidates 2026 Champion Javokhir Sindarov's coach IM Roman Vidonyak (left), and second GM Mukhiddin Madaminov (right). | Photo: Amruta Mokal

Bibisara posted on her Telegram Channel

Round 12 Results | Graphic: FIDE

Standings after round 13 | Graphic: FIDE

Players of the day | Graphic: FIDE

It's Gukesh vs Sindarov!! | Graphic: Anmol Bhargav

Round 14 Pairings:

Replay games of the Open section

Women's Section

Unlike the Open section, the Women's tournament is going down to the wire with two leaders tied at 7.5 points: R. Vaishali and Bibisara Assaubayeva. It was quite an eventful day as there were 3 decisive games and just 1 draw. Bibisara cleanly outplayed and won a smooth game against Anna Muzychuk. Vaishali was in some trouble against Tan Zhongyi, but managed to get out of it and made a draw. Aleksandra Goryachkina scored a big win over Zhu Jiner. Zhu had a close-to-winning advantage, but couldn't convert it. She kept pushing, and at one point, Goryachkina turned it around to win. Kateryna Lagno outplayed Divya Deshmukh and won her game.

In the final round, Vaishali will take on Kateryna Lagno

Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Anna Muzychuk (1-0)

Bibisara Assaubayeva secured a crucial win against Anna Muzychuk. Muzychuk missed a drawish opportunity in an opposite-colored bishop endgame, allowing Assaubayeva to capitalise and join the lead.

Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Anna Muzychuk (1-0)

Check out the final moments of the game and a detailed interview with Bibisara afterwards.

Tan Zhongyi vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (0.5-0.5)

Vaishali managed to draw a very difficult position against Tan Zhongyi. Her ability to navigate time pressure and find a repetition of moves kept her at the top of the leaderboard.

Tan Zhongyi vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (0.5-0.5)

Zhu Jiner vs Aleksandra Goryachkina (0-1)

One of the favourites, Zhu Jiner, suffered a painful loss to Aleksandra Goryachkina after being better for most of the game. This loss significantly hurts her chances of winning the event.

Zhu Jiner vs Aleksandra Goryachkina (0-1)

Kateryna Lagno vs Divya Deshmukh (1-0)

Bibisara Assaubayeva with her mother Liana Tanzharikova after winning her penultimate round game against Anna Muzychuk.

Round 13 Results | Graphic: FIDE

Standings after round 13 | Graphic: FIDE

Round 14 Pairing

Replay games of the Women's section

Photo Gallery: ChessBase India, FIDE

Let's Play!!

Uzbek Fans are here to cheer up Sindarov

Bringing you all the action directly from the media room!

Goryachkina scored an important win over Zhu Jiner

That proud face of Mukhiddin Madaminov (second of Sindarov)

Praggnanandhaa had a bad tournament, but he will definitely help Vaishali for her last round prep

That hug after the victory!!

Bluebaum was not able to win any match in the event, although he played some very nice games (Chess is tough)

Sindarov in broadcast with Jan Gustafsson

Agony!

Happy Happy Happy!!

What a beautiful click!

He has done it!!

Videos:

IM Sagar Shah tells you all that happened in this Round 13 Recap video.

Watch the press conference in full with lots of raw and unseen footage, and lots of interesting answers from the World Championship Challenger.

Javokhir Sindarov is the Champion of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 with a round to spare! Watch the exclusive post-game interview with Sindarov after he won the event.

The final moments of Round 13 as Javokhir Sindarov draws with Anish Giri to become the 2026 Candidates Champion, with a round to spare!

Live Stream

Watch Live Stream by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal from Cyprus | Video: ChesBase India

Pairings: Round 14

Graphic: FIDE

Venue: Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, Cyprus

Official FIDE partner for Candidates 2026 | Photo: FIDE Chess

The multi-award-winning Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort has been selected by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) as the ideal destination to host the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, an event of historic and international significance. This selection represents the highest recognition both for Cyprus and for Cap St Georges Hotel& Resort, affirming the prestige, reliability, and organizational excellence required to host a world-class chess tournament. Surrounded by landscaped gardens with centuries-old olive trees, the resort reflects the island’s character through refined architecture and well-designed spaces, with a strong focus on privacy, comfort, and attentive service.

Both tournaments are held side by side at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Cyprus, a five-star coastal venue near Paphos. The resort offers a calm and professional setting for elite competition, with the playing hall, accommodation, and preparation areas located within the same complex, allowing players to focus fully on the event. Photo Gallery of Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort

Enjoy an amazing venue tour of the FIDE Candidates 2026 in Cyprus, happening at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Paphos. Sagar and Amruta give an extensive tour. Enjoy!

Schedule and Format

Each tournament features eight of the world’s strongest players competing in a double round-robin format over fourteen rounds of classical chess. All the games will start at 15:30 Local Time/18:15 IST

Key details and Information

Two tournaments will be held side by side – the (Open) FIDE Candidates Tournament and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.

Format: In both the Open and the Women’s, the eight qualified players will compete in a double round-robin tournament, consisting of 14 rounds.

Time control: The games will be played with a time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 41.

Prize fund: The minimum prize fund for the event stands at a record €1,000,000.

Tie-breaks: In the event of a tie for first place after 14 rounds, a playoff will be held to determine the winner who qualifies for the World Championship Match, which will take place in November 2026.