Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov has become the first chess player from Uzbekistan to secure a spot in the Candidates Tournament, defeating fellow countryman Nodirbek Yakubboev 1.5–0.5 in the tiebreak of the FIDE World Cup semifinal.
The first two classical games between the Uzbek players ended in draws. In the rapid tiebreaks, Sindarov won the first game and drew the second, securing his place in the World Cup final and automatically qualifying for the main qualifying tournament that determines the challenger for the reigning World Champion.
In the final, Sindarov will face China’s Wei Yi.
Yakubboev will compete for third place and the final remaining spot in the Candidates Tournament against Russian player Andrey Esipenko, who lost to Wei Yi in the tiebreaks. If Yakubboev wins, Uzbekistan could have two participants in the Candidates Tournament—a rare occurrence on the global chess stage.
The World Cup final matches will take place from November 24 to 26, with all games starting at 14:30 Tashkent time.
