Teen Prodigy Sindarov Triumphs at Chess World Cup

19-year-old Javokhir Sindarov from Uzbekistan clinched victory at the Chess World Cup after defeating China’s Wei Yi in a thrilling tiebreaker in Goa, India. This win secured his position for the Candidates tournament, alongside Andrey Esipenko and others, to contest for the world title.

In a stunning display of skill, Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov, just 19 years old, emerged as the youngest champion of the Chess World Cup after defeating China's Wei Yi in Goa, India. Sindarov capitalized on Wei's time management errors in the decisive tiebreak game.

Despite Wei's formidable position, his clock missteps led to a critical blunder, gifting Sindarov the championship and a $120,000 prize. Both players, along with Russia's Andrey Esipenko, have secured spots in the upcoming Candidates tournament, which will determine who will challenge current world champion Gukesh Dommaraju.

The lineup for the Candidates tournament also features prominent names like Anish Giri, Matthias Bluebaum, and Fabiano Caruana. Details about the 2026 world title match remain undisclosed.

(With inputs from agencies.)