New Delhi: There is a new top hunter in the world of chess, and his name is Javakhir Sandroof.In an impressive display of tactical aggression, the 20-year-old Uzbek Grandmaster (GM) won the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 on Tuesday, earning his right to challenge India’s D Gokesh for the World Chess Championship title later this year.With one round remaining, Sandarov’s draw against Dutch No. 1 Inish Gray was enough to maintain a two-point lead over a shellshocked field.
In an exclusive interview, Germany’s No. 1 Vincent Kemmer, fresh off his victory at the Freestyle Chess Open at the Greinke Chess Festival in Karlsruhe, shares his insight into the Sindaroff juggernaut.“I’m following the candidates as closely as I can. I think this is the highlight of the year. “Of course, I would have liked to be there, but still I’m following him very closely,” Kemmer told TimesofIndia.com from Germany. “What can we say? Sandroff is just crushing it.”
The most important moment in Sandroff’s run
Every legendary race has a moment where it almost never happened. For Sanderov, that moment came in Round 1 against Andrei Espinko. With barely six minutes left on the clock to Espinco’s thirty-on-move 27, and looking at a disadvantageous position, Sindarov looked destined for an early-day defeat.Instead, he faked a win that changed the course of the tournament. Kemmer believes that this was the “big bang” of Sundaroff’s campaign.“That first game was critical,” Kaymer shared with a smile. “He had a pretty bad position against Espinco and he was on the clock. Honestly, it was easy for him to lose the game. If he had lost then, things would have been very different. He survived that shock moment, got a little lucky, and won the game.”
Sindrov was down on time against Espanco (Image: Screengrab from Chess.com)
Since that escape, Sindarov’s scorecard has looked more like a blitz demolition than a marathon classic. His ability to play at pace, a trait usually reserved for the shorter formats, has left elite veterans gasping for air.
A master class from a champion
Perhaps an eye-opener for the fans was Sindhrov’s encounter with R Pragnananandha in round 10 of the tournament. In a situation where most tournament leaders would opt for a solid draw to protect their lead with White, Sandrov chose violence.“Look at how he goes about sports,” Kemmer told the website. “Against Prague, he had the choice to play a solid game as White. Instead, he chose to sacrifice a piece for a good payoff. But still, it was a very obscure position. At a time when drawing all your games basically guarantees you first place, it takes guts to go for such a position.”
What can we say? Sandroff is just crushing it.
Vincent Kemmer on the Tournament of Candidates
Klemmer, who recently clinched his spot in the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship with his win at the Grenke Chess Festival, noted that Sindarov is winning with a psychological dominance that is rare in the post-Magnus Carlsen era.
The ‘Bluebaum Sweep’ that wasn’t.
There’s also been a tournament of 2026 candidate subplots, none more colorful than the #GreatBluebaumSweep. What started as a satirical social media meme, predicting that German GM Matthias Blübaum would leave in 14/14, became a mild rallying cry for fans.Kemmer offered a grounded perspective on his compatriot’s performance.Kemmer laughed. “Matthias played a great Grand Swiss to get here, and he deservedly qualified. But at this absolute elite level, you need to do something special to win the whole thing.”
Matthias Blübaum (Photo by Niki Riga)
Although Blubaum didn’t “sweep” the Internet 14-0, Kemmer defended his performance.“He’s very solid. He hasn’t lost much (only one loss in 13 games). He’s trying to play good chess and wait for his chance, but his hopes of crushing the field haven’t materialized. Still, it’s a very reasonable result that we’re seeing a lot of strong players at low points,” the 21-year-old said.Also read: Harika Dronaveli Special | ‘Empty Minds’ and Bold Leaps: How a Veteran Cracked Freestyle Chess for the First TimeAs the dust settles in the hall of candidates, attention turns to the De Gokesh vs Javakhir Sundaroff contest. This is a mouth-watering prospect for a new era of chess.
