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Chess

Sindarov Ahead in Candidates, While Asaubayeva Shares Women’s Lead

Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan is leading after four rounds of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, the elite chess contest that will determine the challenger to the world champion. In the women’s competition, Bibisara Asaubayeva of Kazakhstan is tied for first place. Sindarov, winner of the 2025 World Cup in Goa, India, played with the white pieces and defeated Fabiano Caruana on Wednesday for his third win of the candidates tournament at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort near Paphos, Cyprus. Sindarov put early pressure on the American and built a sizeable advantage on the clock. The 20-year-old Uzbekistani player faces Hikaru Nakamura of the United States in the fifth round on Friday. Featuring eight players, the 14-round tournament began on March 28 and ends on April 16. The winner will challenge the current world champion, India’s Gukesh Dommaraju, later this year. In an interview with the Lichess platform, Sindarov said preparation was the key to the win over Caruana and he hasn’t been focused on whether other players would catch his early lead in the tournament. He currently has 3.5 points, while Caruana is in second place with 2.5 points. “I don’t think about this a lot,” he said. “I was just playing chess.” Sindarov’s style of play often includes “bold sacrifices, energetic attacks, and creative solutions to difficult positions,” making him an unpredictable competitor in Cyprus, according to the candidates tournament website. It noted his strong results at the elite level, among them a gold medal at the Chess Olympiad in 2022 in Chennai, India, “where Uzbekistan sensationally won ahead of many traditional chess powers.” In the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, Asaubayeva, 22, drew in a game against China’s Tan Zhongyi on Wednesday. The Kazakhstani player and Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine are currently joint tournament leaders with 2.5 points. Asaubayeva plays against Kateryna Lagno of Russia in round five on Friday. The winner of the tournament will challenge the women’s world champion, Ju Wenjun of China. Asaubayeva won the Women’s World Blitz Championship in 2021, 2022 and again in 2025. FIDE, the Switzerland-based governing body of chess, awarded grandmaster status to Asaubayeva last year. “Unlike purely positional grinders, she thrives in active positions where initiative and momentum matter,” says the candidates tournament website, noting the Kazakhstani player’s standout composure in knockout and high-tempo formats.

Chess

Uzbek Grandmaster Abdusattorov Wins in Prague: “I Was Always in Control.”

Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan has risen to fourth in the live chess ratings after winning the Prague Chess Festival Masters this month, following his victory in the elite Tata Steel tournament in the Netherlands earlier this year as well as the 2025 London Chess Classic. Abdusattorov now has a classical chess live rating of 2780.3, behind Fabiano Caruana (2793.2), Hikaru Nakamura (2810), both of the United States, and top-ranked Magnus Carlsen (2840) of Norway. The player from Uzbekistan is 21 years old, while the other three players are in their 30s. Live ratings are updates of chess ratings that happen after the end of a game in a major tournament. They are based on the official ratings of FIDE, the international governing body of chess, that are updated every month. In the final round in Prague, Abdusattorov’s draw against American Hans Niemann was enough to win the tournament. The nine-day event ended on March 6. “It went very smooth. I was always in control,” the Uzbek player said in an interview with lichess.org, a chess platform. “Prague is a nice place and a lucky place for me because I won two tournaments here already.” Abdusattorov said a lot of people from Uzbekistan came to the venue to support him, and that his strong run began in London last year. “It boosts my confidence and everything went my way since then,” he told lichess.org. “It’s continuing to get better and better. But when you are playing against absolutely top players like Magnus, Fabiano and all other super grandmasters, you need to show consistency, you need to prove everything again and again. “That’s my mindset for now.” According to the Prague tournament website, Abdusattorov said he took a break from the tournament last year after an earlier title there and might try the same schedule again, aiming to return in 2028.

Chess

KazChessLab Opens in Kazakhstan Amid Plans to Teach Chess in Schools

The KazChessLab innovation laboratory has been officially inaugurated at the Kazakh National Women's Pedagogical University (QyzPU) in Almaty. The project is supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and is a partnership between QyzPU and the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. KazChessLab is a modern educational platform designed to prepare chess teachers for secondary schools. The program is intended for students majoring in pedagogy and is offered as a minor. Upon completion of the course, graduates will receive certificates confirming their eligibility to teach chess in Kazakh schools. At the opening ceremony on February 20, Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek highlighted the importance of developing chess in Kazakhstan. “In 2023, on the instructions of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, a strategic chess development plan was approved. Every child should be introduced to chess and master the game from an early school age. Today, Kazakhstan demonstrates high achievements in chess, and qualified teachers are essential for further development,” the minister said. “The opening of KazChessLab at our university is an important step aimed at updating educational content and enhancing the professional potential of future teachers,” said Beibitkul Karimova, Chair of the Board and Rector of QyzPU. “Chess is not just a game, but a tool for developing strategic thinking, responsibility, and perseverance. Training teachers capable of teaching this subject at a professional level is one of the pressing challenges of our time.” Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, described the opening of the laboratory as a milestone. “Kazakhstani chess has been consistently moving toward this goal for several years. These young specialists will not only teach children the rules of the game but also contribute to their intellectual development. I am confident that the synergy of modern infrastructure, a strong teaching school, and government support will take chess and chess education in Kazakhstan to a whole new level,” he said.

Chess

Tata Steel Chess Contest Has A New Champion – From Uzbekistan

When he was a child, Nodirbek Abdusattorov dreamed of winning the elite Tata Steel Chess Tournament in the Netherlands. On Sunday, the 21-year-old from Uzbekistan did just that. Abdusattorov secured the champion´s title after raising his point total to nine, playing with the black pieces in a final round victory over Indian Arjun Erigaisi. Another grandmaster from Uzbekistan, 20-year-old Javokhir Sindarov, came second with eight and a half points. “I can’t express my happiness with words. It was a long way for me,” Abdusattorov said in an interview posted on the tournament website. He said he had come close to winning the contest in previous years, and finally doing so was a highlight of his career. “I had a dream to win this tournament when I was a kid and finally my dream came true,” he said. “I just told myself: ‘Don’t let it slip this year.´” Uzbekistan´s top player had six wins, six draws and one loss in the 13-round tournament. “For three straight years, Nodirbek Abdusattorov was right there on top going into the final weekend. Three times, the title slipped through his fingers. This year, he came back and finished the story. From heartbreak to redemption,” the tournament said on X. Abdusattorov won the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in 2021 and was part of the team from Uzbekistan that won gold at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India. FIDE is the international governing body of chess. “I gave everything I had,” Abdusattorov said. “I don’t have plans for celebration but obviously I’m going to do something.” Sindarov had four wins, nine draws and no losses at the Tata Steel event, where he was the only unbeaten player. He won the FIDE World Cup in 2025, qualifying for this year’s Candidates Tournament, which determines who can challenge the world champion. The current champion is India’s Gukesh Dommaraju. Over the years, the Tata Steel tournament in the seaside town of Wijk aan Zee has attracted greats of the game including Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov and Magnus Carlsen. The strong showing by Uzbek players in the 14-participant Masters competition this year shows the growing strength of chess talent in Uzbekistan.

Chess

“We Are Contenders”: Uzbekistan’s Chess Talents Aim High

“Uzbekistan, the new chess superpower?” says the website of Europe Échecs, a French chess publication. The lead article in the January 2026 edition of the monthly magazine focuses on the extraordinary rise of Uzbek chess and shows photos of Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov, two grandmasters from the Central Asian country who were atop the standings early this week in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in the Netherlands. Abdusattorov and Sindarov faced each other in the ninth round on Tuesday, playing to a draw that kept both of them in the lead of the elite contest that ends on February 1 after 13 rounds. Abdusattorov was first with six points, while Sindarov was second with five and a half points. However, the race is tightening -- Sindarov now shares second place with 14-year-old Turkish prodigy Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş and Dutch player Jorden van Foreest. Sometimes called the “Wimbledon of chess,” the Tata Steel event in the seaside town of Wijk aan Zee has attracted the game’s greats over many years. They have included Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov and Magnus Carlsen. The presence of two Uzbek players in the 14-participant Masters competition this year is a testament to the depth of top-tier talent in Uzbekistan, which is challenging India and other top chess nations in the world. Born in Tashkent, 21-year-old Abdusattorov became a grandmaster at the age of 13 and is ranked twelth in the world with a rating of 2751. He has previously competed in the Tata Steel event, finishing in the top three in the last three years, according to the tournament. He won the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in 2021 and was part of the team from Uzbekistan that won gold at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India. FIDE is the international governing body of chess. “It made us realize that we aren't just ‘participants´ anymore; we are contenders,” Rayhona O'ktamova of Uzbekistan wrote in a Chess.com blog titled: “Why Everyone is Suddenly Talking About Uzbekistan.” “What I love most isn't just the trophies, it's how the atmosphere in our country changed,” O´ktamova said. “Before, if a kid said ‘I want to be a professional chess player,´ parents might say, ‘Maybe study something more serious?´ But now? You see kids in every park with a board. Chess has become our ‘national sport.´ It’s our art, our marathon, and our pride.” Sindarov, who was also born in Tashkent, is another high performer. The 20-year-old was 12 when he became a grandmaster and now has a world ranking of 21 and a rating of 2726. He won the FIDE World Cup in 2025, qualifying for this year’s Candidates Tournament, which determines who can challenge the world champion. The current champion is India’s Gukesh Dommaraju. “I hope this is just the beginning — the victories of Uzbek chess will only grow from here,” Sindarov said after winning the FIDE World Cup. Alongside Abdusattorov, Sindarov was also in Uzbekistan’s winning team at the 2022 Chess Olympiad. The city of...

Chess

Uzbek Chess Surges at Elite Tata Steel Event in Netherlands

Uzbek grandmasters Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov lead in the standings after the half-way mark in the prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament, currently underway in the Netherlands. Abdusattorov is in the top position with five and a half points after key victories in the Masters category, benefiting in the sixth round from a blunder by world champion Gukesh Dommaraju that cost the Indian a rook and led him to resign soon afterward. Abdusattorov then beat top seed Vincent Keymer of Germany in the seventh round, though he lost in the next game to Anish Giri of the Netherlands. The Uzbek grandmaster has won four games and drawn three times. Sindarov is unbeaten in second place with five points, after two wins and six draws. Hans Niemann of the United States is third in the standings with four and a half points. Players get one point for a win, half a point for a draw and zero points for a loss. The Tata Steel tournament, one of the toughest chess events of the year, runs from January 16 to February 1 in the seaside town of Wijk aan Zee. Round nine starts on Tuesday. There are a total of 13 rounds.