Javokhir Sindarov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Javokhir Sindarov |
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Sindarov in 2024
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| Country | Uzbekistan |
| Born | 8 December 2005 Tashkent, Uzbekistan |
| Title | Grandmaster (2018) |
| FIDE rating | 2557 (April 2026) |
| Peak rating | 2745 (March 2026) |
| Peak ranking | No. 11 (April 2026) |
Javokhir Sindarov (born 8 December 2005) is a talented Uzbek chess grandmaster and a two-time national champion. He is known as a chess prodigy because he became a grandmaster at the young age of 12 years, 10 months, and 8 days. Sindarov won the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which means he will soon challenge for the World Chess Championship title. In 2022, he was part of the Uzbek team that won the 44th Chess Olympiad. To qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, he first won the 2025 Chess World Cup. In April 2026, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev honored him with the Order of Labour Glory.
Contents
Early Life
Javokhir Sindarov was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 8 December 2005. From a very young age, he showed a great talent for chess.
Becoming a Grandmaster
Sindarov earned the title of International Master in October 2017. This was a big step in his chess career. He achieved his first grandmaster (GM) norm at the Alekhine Memorial in June 2018. A "norm" is a high-level performance needed to become a grandmaster.
In September of the same year, he finished second at the World Junior Chess Championship. This achievement helped his rating reach 2500 points. An Elo rating measures a player's skill. In October 2018, he earned his third grandmaster norm at the First Saturday tournament. This made him the second-youngest grandmaster in history at that time. FIDE, the world chess federation, officially awarded him the Grandmaster title in March 2019.
Major Tournaments and Achievements
World Cup Success
Sindarov qualified for the Chess World Cup 2021. Even though he was ranked 121st, he surprised many by defeating the 8th-ranked player, Alireza Firouzja, in a tiebreak round. He reached the final 32 players before being knocked out in the fourth round by Kacper Piorun.
He competed again in the Chess World Cup 2023. Once more, Sindarov caused a big surprise. He defeated the tournament's 10th seed, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, in the third round. He was later eliminated by Arjun Erigaisi.
Sindarov's biggest World Cup achievement came in the Chess World Cup 2025. As the sixteenth seed, he beat strong players like Yu Yangyi, Frederik Svane, and José Martínez Alcántara. He reached the semifinals, where he faced his fellow countryman Nodirbek Yakubboev. After winning in the tiebreaks, Sindarov advanced to the finals against Wei Yi. By reaching the finals, he qualified for the Candidates Tournament 2026. He then drew the first two main games and the first tiebreak game. He defeated Wei Yi in their second tiebreak game, becoming the first Uzbek and the youngest World Cup winner ever. He was 19 years, 11 months, and 18 days old at the time.
Asian Games and Other Events
In October 2023, Sindarov played in the Asian Games. He won a bronze medal in the individual competition. He also played for Uzbekistan's team, winning 6 out of 8 games. His team earned a bronze medal, finishing behind India and Iran. After the Asian Games, he took fourth place in the Qatar Masters Open tournament, remaining undefeated with a score of 6.5 out of 9 points.
In November 2023, Sindarov participated in the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament. He finished eighth with 7 points out of 11. He was among the top players until round 7, where he lost his only game of the tournament to Vidit Gujrathi, who eventually won the event. Despite this, Sindarov won four games, including one against the former world number two, Levon Aronian.
After the Grand Swiss tournament, Sindarov's Elo rating went above 2700 for the first time. This is a very high rating in chess. In June 2024, he played in the UzChess Cup Masters. He finished fifth overall and achieved a notable win against another strong Uzbek player, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who was ranked world number five.
Winning the Candidates Tournament
Sindarov won the Candidates Tournament 2026. He performed exceptionally well, staying undefeated throughout the event. He scored 10 points from 14 rounds, which is the highest score ever achieved in the current format of this tournament. This victory means he will challenge Gukesh Dommaraju for the title of World Chess Champion. He is one of only three players to have secured victory in this Candidates format with a round to spare, joining Anand (in 2014) and Nepomniachtchi (in 2022).
During the Candidates Tournament, Sindarov was coached by International Master (IM) Roman Vidonyak. Grandmaster (GM) Mukhiddin Madaminov was his "second," which is a term for a coach or assistant in chess. He also had two other unnamed assistants.
After his big win at the Candidates, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev presented Sindarov with the Order of “Mehnat Shuhrati” (Labour Glory) award. This is a high honor in Uzbekistan.
See also
In Spanish: Javojir Sindarov para niños
