Javokhir Sindarov Maintains Lead at 2026 Candidates Tournament

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 8 April, Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov played to a draw against Matthias Bluebaum in the ninth round of the Candidates Tournament, playing with the black pieces.

During the game, the 20-year-old Sindarov achieved a significant advantage; however, his opponent managed to find precise defensive maneuvers and simplified the position following a queen exchange. The game transitioned into an equal endgame and concluded in a draw.

Following the ninth round, Sindarov has amassed 7 points out of a possible 9, maintaining his sole leadership of the tournament. In a parallel match, Anish Giri defeated Fabiano Caruana, bringing his total to 5.5 points. Sindarov’s lead over his closest pursuer remains at 1.5 points.

Sindarov will play the next match, the tenth of 14 rounds, with the white pieces against Indian grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.

The 2026 Candidates Tournament is taking place from 29 March to 15 April in Cyprus, bringing together eight of the world’s strongest chess players. The competition is held in a double round-robin format (14 rounds), and the winner will earn the right to challenge the reigning world champion, Dommaraju Gukesh, for the world chess crown. The tournament features a prize fund of 700,000 euros.

The time control provides two hours for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with a 30-second increment per move starting from the first. Draw agreements are prohibited before the 40th move. Points are awarded as 1 for a win, 0.5 for a draw, and 0 for a loss.