Javokhir Sindarov won the FIDE Candidates 2026 with a round to spare. | Photo Credit: Michal Walusza/FIDE

After 14 rounds of intense chess, Javokhir Sindarov finished the tournament with 10 points, having already clinched the title to earn the right to challenge D. Gukesh for the FIDE World Championship.

Sindarov secured six wins during the tournament, including victories over R. Praggnanandhaa in Rounds 3 and 10, Hikaru Nakamura in Round 5, and Fabiano Caruana in Round 4.

Anish Giri finished second with 8.5 points, with wins over Fabiano Caruana and R. Praggnanandhaa.

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Fabiano Caruana took third place with 7.5 points, while China’s Wei Yi finished fourth with seven points.

India’s R. Praggnanandhaa finished seventh with six points from 14 rounds.

Despite a valiant effort, Vaishali’s win pushed Bibisara Assaubayeva to second place with eight points, followed by Zhu Jiner with seven.

Anna Muzychuk finished fourth with 6.5 points, while India’s Divya Deshmukh ended seventh with 5.5 points. Her draw against Bibisara in Round 14 also played a crucial role in Vaishali securing the title.

Published on Apr 15, 2026