Sindarov Builds Commanding Lead at Candidates Chess Tournament in Cyprus
The sixth round of the prestigious Candidates chess tournament in Cyprus on Saturday saw a significant shift in the standings as Javokhir Sindarov continued his remarkable winning streak, while Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa was held to a draw. At the start of the round, Praggnanandhaa trailed leader Sindarov by two points and four 'net wins', but the gap widened as the Uzbek prodigy secured another victory.
Praggnanandhaa's Strategic Draw Against Nakamura
Praggnanandhaa, aiming to close the gap, surprised world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura with an unexpected Nimzo-Indian Defence. The Indian star demonstrated clear intent to complicate the position and create winning chances. However, despite his aggressive approach, the game eventually petered out to a draw after a threefold repetition was reached in just 23 moves. This result left Praggnanandhaa 2.5 points behind the tournament leader.
Sindarov's Dominant Performance Continues
In a display of exceptional form, Javokhir Sindarov defeated Chinese Grandmaster Wei Yi with the black pieces, jumping to 5.5 points. The 20-year-old Uzbek, who won the World Cup and is the youngest player in the field—similar to D Gukesh when he claimed the Candidates and world title in 2024—has now achieved consecutive victories over elite opponents. His recent wins include triumphs against world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana, world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura, and now Wei Yi.
Former five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, commenting on the FIDE webcast, noted the psychological impact of Sindarov's run. "It's just that Sindarov's opponents are not able to play a normal game anymore," Anand observed, highlighting the pressure the young leader is exerting on the field.
Other Key Results in the Open Section
Fabiano Caruana, with 4 points, could not overcome Andrey Esipenko and now trails Sindarov by 1.5 points. This result further solidifies Sindarov's position at the top, making the pursuit increasingly challenging for his rivals.
Indian Success in Women's Section
The day proved fruitful for Indian players in the women's section, with R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh both securing impressive victories. Vaishali, Praggnanandhaa's sister, defeated overnight leader Kateryna Lagno, who had 3 points, in a wild and complex game. Despite being a piece down, Vaishali managed to find a safe square for her king and threatened significant damage on the opponent's h1 square, utilizing her queen and rook to control the g and h files while being two pawns up.
Divya Deshmukh also shone, overcoming Kazakh player Bibisara Assaubayeva with a nice finish in a queen, rook, and pawn endgame. Both Indian women now stand at 3 points each, contributing to a strong showing for the black pieces throughout the tournament.
Additional Women's Section Highlights
Earlier in the day, Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine defeated co-leader Zhu Jiner of China with the black pieces, moving to four points. Meanwhile, the game between Tan Zhongyi and Aleksandra Goryachkina ended in a draw, with scores of 2.5 and 3 points respectively.
Freestyle Chess Update: Amin Holds Carlsen
In other chess news, Iranian Grandmaster Amin Tabatabaei held world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen to a draw in the fourth round of the Freestyle chess event at the Grenke Classic in Karlsruhe, Germany. Carlsen, who entered the round with a perfect 3/3 score and a winning streak of 12 games—including a 9/9 performance from last year—was stopped by GM Amin, who has an Elo rating of 2661. The event has attracted over 3,500 entries across various sections, with Carlsen being mobbed by fans in a festival atmosphere.
