Goa, India – Javokhir Sindarov, the 19-year-old chess player from Uzbekistan, has emerged as a major force in the chess world, securing a spot in the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 finals in Goa. This achievement also makes him the first Uzbek player to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, a significant milestone for the nation.
Sindarov’s success in India is particularly noteworthy, given Uzbekistan’s victory at the Chess Olympiad in Mahabalipuram in 2022. While some might perceive this as Uzbek dominance, Sindarov downplays the notion, emphasizing the reciprocal success enjoyed by Indian players in Uzbekistan. “I can also say that all the Indian guys who come to Uzbekistan have also won a lot of tournaments. For example, Pragg (Praggnanandhaa) last year won the President’s Cup, Nihal (Sarin) has won a lot of tournaments in Uzbekistan,” Sindarov told The Indian Express after his semifinal victory against compatriot Nodirbek Yakubboev.
Speaking about the high-stakes World Cup, Sindarov acknowledged the role of fortune. “You need to be lucky to win some tournaments like the World Cup. I also worked hard for this tournament, but the most important thing is that you need to be lucky for these tournaments.”
The semifinal match against Yakubboev was an emotionally taxing experience for Sindarov. Overcome with the weight of the situation, he struggled to maintain eye contact with his friend when accepting the draw offer that secured his place in the finals. Following the victory, he repeatedly apologized to Yakubboev, who responded with a consoling hug.
“It’s very hard, very stressful to lose a match like this. I have also lost a lot of important matches (in my career). It’s very hard, but I hope he (Yakubboev) will come back tomorrow. He’s also one of my good friends in chess. I cannot be very happy because I beat my teammate, but anyway, I believe I played a very good match today and maybe I deserve it,” he said.
Yakubboev still has the opportunity to qualify for the Candidates Tournament by winning the third-place playoff against Russia’s Andrey Esipenko. A victory would result in two Uzbek players competing in the World Championship challenger event in Cyprus.
Despite the growing rivalry between young talents from Uzbekistan and India, Sindarov dismisses the idea of direct national competition. “We have a lot of strong young players from the same generation, that’s why we all compete against each other. Yes, the competition started when we won the Olympiad in 2022 but then you guys also won the Olympiad in 2024.”
Sindarov praised the Indian players, particularly Praggnanandhaa, recognizing his past dominance in youth events. “The (Indian) guys are very strong. I played with all of them. I played Pragg for the first time in 2013, some 12 years ago. At that time, I knew that he would be one of the top players. He beat me in a lot of youth events.”
He jokingly added, “I think if he had not played, I would have won at least a few more tournaments,” before laughing. “In 2013, I lost to him twice or thrice in a row, I can’t remember but at that time, I knew he would be one of the strongest players in the world. After that, I also played a lot with Gukesh, Arjun, and Nihal, and all of them are just very strong.”
Sindarov’s versatility extends beyond traditional chess. He recently participated in the Weissenhaus Freestyle Grand Slam Tour, showcasing his skills in Fischer-Random chess. He also qualified for the inaugural Esports World Cup, demonstrating his adaptability across different formats.
When asked about his ability to excel in various formats, Sindarov emphasized the importance of hard work. “You need to just work a lot if you need to be good. If you want to be good in all of the formats, you just need to play good chess.”
Sindarov is set to face China’s Wei Yi in the finals of the FIDE World Cup.
