New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru on Tuesday capped a flawless campaign to win the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 title, sealing the crown with a round to set up a blockbuster world championship clash with De Gokesh later this year.The Uzbek grandmaster at the Cape St George’s Hotel and Resort remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, showing impressive consistency against an elite field. His defining moment came with a draw against Anish Giri, which confirmed his qualification for the World Championship before the final round.
Sandarov’s journey began with a Round 1 win over Andrey Esipenko, setting the tone for the tournament. From there, he built momentum with a series of controlled performances combining solid defense with timely aggression. Even in difficult positions, Sundrov showed maturity beyond his years, ensuring he stayed ahead of the chasing pack.His ability to dominate opponents, be it through wins or crucial draws, proved to be his defining factor. A steady streak of half points, including a draw against Matthias Bluebaum in the later rounds, kept him firmly in control of the standings.With one round to play, Sandrov’s lead remains unassailable, underscoring the dominance of his campaign. He will now face Wei Yi in the final round but the result will not affect his position at the top.The tournament, boasting a prize pool of €700,000 (roughly Rs. 7.6 crore), is as spectacular as the performance itself, and Sandroff excelled on both fronts. Also read: D Gokesh’s potential World Cup challenger Javakhir Sundaroff breaks the code on sponsorship woes in chessThe winner takes home €70,000, along with the right to challenge for chess’ biggest prize.All eyes now turn to the World Championships, where Sundaroff will take on reigning champion Gokesh in what promises to be a thrilling battle between two of the game’s brightest young stars.
