Jabokir Shindarov won the Candidates Tournament with one round remaining and will next face India’s Gukesh.
Published April 15, 2026
Uzbek grandmaster Jabokir Shindarov won the Chess Candidates Tournament with one round to spare, drawing with Dutchman Anish Giri and setting up a world championship match against India’s Gyukesh Donmaraj.
The 20-year-old stormed through Tuesday’s event in Cyprus, winning six of 13 matches and remaining undefeated, a dominant performance not seen on the contenders’ team.
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After failing to score a point against China’s Wei Yi in the previous round, Shindarov improved to 9.5 points, two points behind second place Giri (7.5 points).
“It’s been the hardest week of my life. I’ve been sleeping pretty bad the last few days. I’m very happy to end this tournament with a win,” Shindalov said after his win.
The tournament was seen as the last chance for veteran fighters to challenge for a world title again, but Americans Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura never seriously threatened.
Gukesh won the title in 2024 by defeating China’s Ding Liren in the 14th and final match. After five-time champion and current world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen vacated the title due to lack of motivation, Ding defeated Ian Nepomniachi to become champion himself.
“Right now I don’t want to think too much about the next world championship match. I know it will be a very tough match,” said Shindalov.
“Gukesh has experience playing at this level. But I have a very good team. I have a lot of work to do. I’m going to work a lot and take my chances.”
Sindarov’s breakthrough and the wider rise of the younger generation are likely to generate fresh speculation about Carlsen’s return, but the Norwegian said he has no intention of returning to the classic world championship cycle.
The exact date and venue for the world championship match have not yet been announced.
