Vincent Keymer and Javokhir Sindarov (Photo: Freestyle Chess and Niki Riga) NEW DELHI: The chess world has a new apex predator and his name is Javokhir Sindarov.In a breathtaking display of tactical aggression, the 20-year-old Uzbek Grandmaster (GM) clinched the FIDE 2026 Candidates Tournament on Tuesday, securing the right to challenge India’s D Gukesh for the World Chess Champion title later this year.With the remainder of the round, Sindarov’s draw against Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri was enough to maintain a commanding two-point lead over a shot-shocked field.
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Harika Dronavalli Exclusive: Inside Grenke’s #chess win, viral no-handshake incident and moreFresh off his own Freestyle Chess Open triumph at the Grenke Chess Festival in Karlsruhe, Germany’s number one Vincent Keymer shares his insights on Sindar’s Juggernaut in an exclusive interview.“I’m watching the candidates as closely as possible. I think it’s kind of the highlight of the year. Of course I’d like to be there, but I’m still watching it quite closely,” Keymer told TimesofIndia.com from Germany. “What can we say? Sindarov just crushes it.”
The most pivotal moment in Sindarov’s run
Every legendary run has a moment that almost never happened. For Sindarov, that moment came in the 1st round against Andrey Espipenko. With barely six minutes left on the clock against Espenko’s thirty in move 27, Sindarov was staring at a disadvantage and looked destined for defeat on the opening day.Instead, he cheated for a win that changed the trajectory of the tournament. Keymer believes this was the “Big Bang” of Sindarov’s campaign.“That first game was extremely critical,” Keymer said with a smile. “He was in a pretty bad position against Espenko and he was on the back foot. To be honest, it was easy for him to lose that match. If he had lost then, everything would have been completely different. He survived that shocking moment, got a bit lucky and won the match.”
Sindarov against Esipenko came on time (Photo: Screengrab from Chess.com)
Since that leak, Sindarov’s scorecard has looked more like a flash demolition than a classic marathon. His ability to play at high speed, a trait usually reserved for the shorter formats, has left elite veterans gasping.
The master class of the champion
Sindarov’s encounter with R Praggnanandha in the 10th round of the tournament may have been an eye-opener for the fans. In a situation where most tournament leaders would have opted for a solid draw to protect their lead with White, Sindarov chose violence.“Look at how the games are,” Keymer told the site. “Against Praggu, he had the choice to play a solid game as white. Instead, he chose to sacrifice a piece for a good compensation. But it was still a very unclear position. At a time when drawing all your pieces basically guarantees you first place, it takes guts to go into such a position.”
what can we say Sindarov just crushes it.
Vincent Keymer at the Candidates Tournament
Keymer, who recently secured his place at the 2027 FIDE Freestyle World Championship by winning the Grenke Chess Festival, noted that Sindarov wins with a psychological dominance that is rare in the post-Magnus Carlsen era.
‘Bluebaum Sweep’ which was not
The 2026 Candidates was also a tournament of subplots, none more colorful than the #GreatBluebaumSweep. What started as a satirical social media meme prophesying that German GM Matthias Blübaum would go on 14/14 has become a cheery rallying cry for fans.Keymer offered a grounded view of his compatriot’s performance.“Of course the sweep was a dream,” laughed Keymer. “Matthias played a great Grand Swiss to get here and deservedly qualified. But at this absolute elite level you need something special to win the whole thing.”
Matthias Blübaum (photo by Niki Riga)
While Blübaum didn’t pull off the 14-0 “sweep” the internet craved, Keymer defended his performance.“He’s been very solid. He hasn’t lost much (only one loss in 13 games). He’s trying to play good chess and wait for his chance, but the hope that he’ll crush the field didn’t materialize. Still, it’s a very reasonable result considering we see so many strong players with fewer points on the road,” said the 21-year-old GM.READ ALSO: Harika Dronavalli Exclusive | An ’empty mind’ and a bold leap: How a veteran overcame freestyle chess on debutAs the dust settles in the Hall of Candidates, attention shifts to the D Gukesh vs Javokhir Sindarov fight. It’s a tantalizing prospect for a new age of chess.
