Javokhir Sindarov won the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament, held in Pegeia, Cyprus, from March 28 to April 16, earning a world championship match against Gukesh Dommaraju.
The 20-year-old Uzbek went undefeated with six wins and eight draws, clinching first place with a round to spare after a draw with Anish Giri in round 13. His final score of 10/14 is the highest of the modern Candidates era, surpassing Ian Nepomniachtchi's 9.5/14 from 2022, and a 30.6-point rating gain lifted him to a career-best world No. 5. Giri took clear second on 8.5 and Fabiano Caruana third on 7.5.
In the Women's Candidates, Vaishali Rameshbabu triumphed with 8.5/14, ahead of Bibisara Assaubayeva and Zhu Jiner.
Source: Chess.com