Nihal Sarin and Anish Giri (photo by Michal Walusza, Lennart Ootes and FIDE) NEW DELHI: As the chess world descends on Cyprus for the 2026 candidates, the name Anish Giri continues to be synonymous with a singular, frustrating memory from the past. 14 draws in 14 games. This legendary run in the 2016 draft gave birth to the nickname “King of Draws” for the current Dutch number one.But as the 31-year-old crowns the contenders 10 years later, and with it the right to challenge Dommaraja Gukesh, Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin points out that “Drwaish Giri” is a tired stereotype that ignores the reality of elite chess.
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Anish Giri Exclusive: FIDE World Championship in Goa, preparation of 2026 candidates, GCL stories and more “I believe very, very strongly that people who say Anish is a draw player are complete nonsense, honestly,” Nihal told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview on the eve of the tournament. “I believe he’s a really great fighter. The draw thing is definitely a bit of a myth.”
Nihal Sarin (Photo by Michal Walusze / FIDE)
The “Myth” of King DrawGiri himself is well aware of the narrative. Speaking to TimesofIndia.com about his preparation, the Dutch number one revealed the unique hurdles of the candidate cycle, noting that he had to wait to hire seconds (assistant coaches) because his top picks were so good that they ended up qualifying for the tournament on their own.“I really understand what makes a good second because that second was so good that he became my opponent,” Giri joked.
Anish Giri (photo by Lennart Ootes)
Nihal points to Giri’s triumph at the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss, where he went undefeated (with five wins and six draws) to qualify for this very event, as proof of his winning intent.“To win the tournament by half a point, he clearly won a few games as well,” Nihal noted. “A lot of draws happen when top players meet because that’s the way chess is. If both are playing to their absolute potential, it’s a draw. That’s just the way chess is.”Nihal’s Candidates 2026 PredictionWhile many pundits are hyper-focused on Fabian Caruana or Hikaru Nakamura, Nihal Sarin’s 2026 field assessment suggests a much more volatile “open” race.While he respects the established American giants, he cast his eye over Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov.“If I had to guess, maybe Fabi or Sindu (Sindarov),” Nihal told the website. “Sindarov is having a great year so far and playing amazing chess. And of course if Pragg has a good event then absolutely. You can never count Hikaru out either.”Nihal also warned against stopping two-time European champion Matthias Bluebaum. While some call Bluebaum’s style pragmatic, Nihal sees a dangerous trap.“He’s insanely good at being safe. Not stupid, but safe. He’s extremely good at punishing when opponents try to run wild against him. That’s a very smart way to win games,” Nihal noted.A tightly packed women’s fieldNihal has turned his attention to the women’s contenders and believes the tournament is even more unpredictable than the open section.“I really wouldn’t be surprised at all who wins. I think anybody can beat everybody there,” he said.However, he leaned towards experience as the deciding factor.
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Should Giri be more aggressive in his playing style to shed the Drawish label?
“I think Aleksandra Goryachkina or Tan Zhongyi will probably win because they’ve done it before. I believe it’s a little easier to have that belief that because you’ve done it before, you can do it again.”READ ALSO: ‘We saw tanks on the road’: How it feels to play chess in the middle of a regional conflictSince the marathon starts on Sunday, rumors like “Drawish Giri” or “underdog Bluebaum” mean very little. In Nihal’s words, “Absolutely anyone can win.”
