The field of grandmasters competing in the next spring’s Candidates Tournament to pick a challenger to reigning world champ GM Dommaraju Gukesh of India is now all but set, and one thing is for sure: There will be a lot of dark horses in the stable when the clocks start in Cyprus on March 28.
GMs Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan, Wei Yi of China and Russia’s Andrey Esipenko grabbed the final slots last week on the strength of their one-two-three finish in the FIDE World Cup knockout tournament in Goa, India. That leaves former world champ Ding Liren of China and such top-10 rated stars such as Germany’s Vincent Keymer, India’s Arjun Erigaisi, American Wesley So and even Sindarov’s higher-rated compatriot GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, scratched from the fight to challenge Gukesh later next year.
American stars and rivals GM Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura will likely be co-favorites in the eight-player Candidates field, also set to include qualifiers Anish Giri of the Netherlands, Indian GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and another unlikely qualifier, German GM Matthias Bluebaum, currently ranked 44th in the world.
Sindarov, ranked 22nd in the world, may be a player to watch as you fill out your bracket. The fast-improving 19-year-old is a two-time national champion and was part of the storied Uzbek team that captured the 44th Chess Olympiad in 2022. He also has an eye-opening 5-1 edge over the far better-known Abdusattorov in games at classical time controls.
One of Sindarov’s most impressive victories against his more celebrated compatriot came at a Tashkent tournament in 2024, a fine positional win out of a Sicilian Dragon Yugoslav Attack. Through 15. Bxc4 Rxc4, it’s a classic Sicilian battle, with Sindarov as White looking to press in the center and on the kingside while Black targets White’s king for counterplay along the half-open c-file.
White gets the better of the opening battle after 18. Bd4! Ne8 19. g4 Bxb5 20. Nxb5 Bxd4 21. Nxd4 Nf6 22. gxh5 Nxh5 (gxh5?? 23. Nf5 sets up a killer check threat on h6, winning after 24…Ng8 24. Qg2, with mate coming on g7) 23. Rhg1 Rc5 24. Rg5! Rxg5 25. hxg5 Qc7 26. Nb5, and Black jettisons the a-pawn as 26…Qb6 27. Nc3 poses real headaches.
On 27. Qxa5 Rc8 28. Qd2 Nf4!, the Black knight sneaks back into the game as the White queen must guard the c2-square, but Sindarov finds a way to retain the positional edge: 31. Na7! Rc7 32. Re1 (even better was 32. Qh2+! Kg8 33. Nb5 Rc8 34. Nd4 Qe5 35. Rh1 Nh5 36. Qxe5 dxe5 37. Nb5, with a clear advantage) Kg8 33. e5!, giving back the pawn to activate his pieces and to create a three-on-one pawn advantage on the queenside.
White returns an extra pawn again for positional compensation with 40. Re4! Qxg5 41. Nd4 Nf8 (Nxd4 42. Rxd4 Rxd4 43. Qxd4, with a clear endgame edge due to White’s centralized queen and mobile queenside pawns) 42. Nb3 Ne6 43. Nd4 Nxd4 44. Rxd4 Ra8 (Rxd4? 45. Qxd4 Qb5 46. Qd8+ Kg7 47. Qxe7 keeps White’s strong advantage) 45. Rd7, and now the purely defensive 45…Rb8 loses to 46. Rxb7! Rxb7 48. Qc8+.
Two pawns up after 46. Rxe7 b6 47. Rb7! Qe8 (Ra6?? 48. Rb8+ wins at once) 48. Rxb6, White efficiently quashes Black’s threats with the centralizing 49. Qd4 Qe2 50. Qe4!, and seals the win with 50…Qd2 51. Qd3 Qg5 52. Rb6 Rb8 53. c3! Qxa5 54. Qd5!, offering a queen trade while queueing up the threat of 55. Rxg6+. Abdusattorov resigned facing 54…Qxd5 (Qc7 55. Rxg6+ Kf8 56. Rh6! and wins) 55. Rxd5 Ra8 56. c4, and the queenside pawn duo will be unstoppable. An impressive positional domination by Sindarov of one of the world’s very best players.
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With so much attention focused on players at the top of the ratings charts, it’s healthy to remind ourselves that a lot of creative and compelling chess is being played every day in events large and small around the globe.
Take today’s second game, a short, sharp battle between National Masters M. Siddarth and Daniel He from last month’s 19th Spice Cup Open in Bellevue, Washington, won by American GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez.
The Ruy Lopez Steinitz Deferred line has a bit of a stodgy reputation, but Black finds a way to enliven the proceedings very early on with 5…f5!? 6. exf5 Bxf5 7. 0-0 Bd3!? — the Black bishop gums up White’s development from its perch, but White will gain tempi looking to oust the bishop from its new post.
Siddarth’s failure to deal effectively with the cheeky bishop costs him dearly: 9. Re3 e4 10. Ne1 Bg5! (Black refuses to retreat; 10…Bxb1 11. Rxb1 Nf6 12. d3 is fine for White) 11. Rg3 Bh4 12. Rh3? (see diagram), a mistake that allows a devastating shot. White could stay in the fight with 12. Nxd3 Bxg3 13. Nb4, with possible lines such as 13…Bxf2+ 14. Kxf2 Qh4+ 15. Kg1 Ng6 16. g3 Qh3 17. Qf1 Qxf1+ 18. Kxf1 0-0+ 19. Kg1 Ne5 20. d4, with chances for both sides.
Black wastes no time punishing White’s mistake, with that bishop on d3 playing a vital role in the final assault: 12…Bxf2+! 13. Kxf2 Qf6+ 14. Nf3 (White’s king won’t survive in the open after 14. Kg3 [Kg1 Qf1 mate] Nge7! 15. Nxd3 exd3 16. Qf3 Qg5+ 17. Kf2 Rf8) Nh6 15. Bxc6+ bxc6 16. Kg1 0-0 — White is a full piece up, but his undeveloped queenside is completely irrelevant in the coming play.
Black finishes things in style with 18. b3 Be2! (exf3 was also good enough for the win, but He’s clever tactic sets up a much more satisfying finale) 19. Qxe2 exf3 20. Qf1 (Rxf3 Rxe2 21. Rxf6 Rxf6 22. Nc2 Rff2 23. Ne3 Nf5!, and the doubled rooks on the second rank will prove unstoppable) f2+ 21. Kh1 Re1 22. Bb2 Rxf1+ 23. Rxf1 Ng4 24. Nc2 Qg6 25. Nb4 (Ne3 Qd3 36. Rxf3 Rxf3 27. gxf3 Nxe3 28. Rxf2 Qb1+ 29. Rf1 Qxf1 mate) Qb1!, and the temporary queen sacrifice forces resignation. It’s over after 26. Rxb1 f1=Q+ 27. Rxf1 Rxf1 mate.
(Click on the image above for a larger view of the chessboard.)
Sindarov-Abdusattorov, UzChess Cup Masters, June 2024
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bc4 g6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. f3 Nc6 9. Qd2 Bd7 10. h4 h5 11. Bb3 a5 12. a4 Ne5 13. O-O-O Rc8 14. Kb1 Nc4 15. Bxc4 Rxc4 16. b3 Rc8 17. Ndb5 Kh7 18. Bd4 Ne8 19. g4 Bxb5 20. Nxb5 Bxd4 21. Nxd4 Nf6 22. gxh5 Nxh5 23. Rhg1 Rc5 24. Rg5 Rxg5 25. hxg5 Qc7 26. Nb5 Qc5 27. Qxa5 Rc8 28. Qd2 Nf4 29. Na7 Rc7 30. Nb5 Rc8 31. Na7 Rc7 32. Re1 Kg8 33. e5 dxe5 34. Nb5 Rc8 35. b4 Qc4 36. Rxe5 Ne6 37. Kb2 Ra8 38. Qc3 Qf4 39. a5 Rd8 40. Re4 Qxg5 41. Nd4 Nf8 42. Nb3 Ne6 43. Nd4 Nxd4 44. Rxd4 Ra8 45. Rd7 Qb5 46. Rxe7 b6 47. Rb7 Qe8 48. Rxb6 Rc8 49. Qd4 Qe2 50. Qe4 Qd2 51. Qd3 Qg5 52. Rd6 Rb8 53. c3 Qxa5 54. Qd5 Black resigns.
Siddarth-He, 19th Spice Cup Open, Bellevue, Washington, November 2025
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. c3 f5 6. exf5 Bxf5 7. O-O Bd3 8. Re1 Be7 9. Re3 e4 10. Ne1 Bg5 11. Rg3 Bh4 12. Rh3 Bxf2+ 13. Kxf2 Qf6+ 14. Nf3 Nh6 15. Bxc6+ bxc6 16. Kg1 O-O 17. Na3 Rae8 18. b3 Be2 19. Qxe2 exf3 20. Qf1 f2+ 21. Kh1 Re1 22. Bb2 Rxf1+ 23. Rxf1 Ng4 24. Nc2 Qg6 25. Nb4 Qb1 White resigns.
• Got a hot tip or a cool game to share? David R. Sands can be reached at davidrsands18@gmail.com.
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