"I'll be preparing for Gukesh's best form" — Zhavokhir Sindarov on the match for the chess crown

"I'll be preparing for Gukesh's best form," said Javokhir Sindarov, commenting on the upcoming match for the chess crown.

In an interview given in St. Louis, Uzbek chess player Javokhir Sindarov shared his plans for preparing for the match for the world championship against Indian grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh.

The match for the chess crown will take place in Geneva from November 25 to December 15. The Uzbek representative will face the current world champion, Gukesh.

When asked about his choice of Geneva as the venue for the match, Sindarov replied that his current focus is on the Grand Chess Tour tournaments held in St. Louis.

"Of course, I'm thinking a lot about this match. But right now I have two extremely strong tournaments. I don't even have time to think about the World Championship match. My team is working, and I'm only focused on the next two tournaments," he explained.

The grandmaster named Geneva as a suitable venue for the championship match. He noted that he trains actively in Munich, where his coach, Roman Vidonyak, lives, and that the city is relatively close to Geneva, as well as having similar weather conditions.

"So, perhaps this is a good location. But we'll see. We still have three or four months before the World Championship match. I have very strong tournaments ahead of that, and I'll try to focus on them. And, of course, I'm not forgetting about this match. "I will also work very hard to prepare for it," Sindarov emphasized.

The interviewer also asked Sindarov about Gukesh's recent results and whether his inconsistent form was creating additional uncertainty ahead of the championship match.

Sindarov disagreed with the notion that the reigning world champion was playing poorly.

"In my opinion, he's playing very well. I think his problem is that when he gets a good position, even a winning position, he [starts making mistakes]. I don't know what exactly he's mistaken, but if you watch his games, I think he's really playing very well," the Uzbek chess player noted.

He said he doesn't intend to base his preparation on his opponent's current difficulties.

"I don't care about that." "I know he's a very strong player. He's capable of playing extremely good chess—I felt it when I played him. Therefore, I will prepare for Gukesh's best form. I will assume he will play at his best and prepare accordingly," Sindarov said.

The match between Sindarov and Gukesh will be the youngest world chess crown match in history: both grandmasters will be 20 years old by the time it begins. Sindarov earned the right to compete for the title by winning the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

Sindarov also spoke about his performance on the Grand Chess Tournament. He admitted that his approach to the first tournament of the series after winning the Candidates Tournament was mistaken.

"I think my biggest mistake was that after the Candidates Tournament, I didn't take my first tournament in Warsaw seriously and played poorly. So, at these tournaments, I just want to play good chess and show my best game. And, of course, try to qualify for the final," he said.

According to the chess player, the task remains difficult, but he has a chance of reaching the final with a successful performance in both tournaments in St. Louis.

"I know it will be very difficult, but I still have a good chance if I play very well in both tournaments. That's why I came here with everything [necessary]. Even my second, Mukhiddin [Madaminov], is here. I will try to do my best," Sindarov said.

A separate section of the interview was devoted to the successes of Uzbek chess players. The interviewer recalled the national team's victory at the 2022 World Chess Olympiad and asked what Sindarov attributed to the rise of Uzbek chess.

According to the grandmaster, much has changed in the country since their victory at the Chennai Olympiad.

"After we won the Chennai Olympiad in 2022, a lot has changed in our country. We received very good support for our next tournaments. That's why we are now playing very good chess internationally," he said.

Sindarov cited Rustam Kasimdzhanov's victory at the FIDE World Championship as one of the prerequisites for the current generation.

"In my opinion, one of the main reasons Uzbekistan became champion is perhaps because after Kasimdzhanov became world champion, a new generation emerged. I think that's also one of the reasons," the chess player said.

He also noted the support of the state and the Chess Federation.

"Overall, of course, our government and Mr. President are helping us a lot; we have all the conditions. The Federation also provides very good support. When you have everything, all you have to do is play chess well," said Zhavokhir Sindarov.

His participation in international tournaments, preparation for the Grand Chess Tour, and work with coaches are supported by the National Bank of Uzbekistan.

This is Sindarov's first visit to St. Louis. According to the grandmaster, he had previously followed competitions there on YouTube and had long wanted to play in a city he considers one of the world's premier chess centers.

"I think St. Louis is probably one of the best places in the world to play chess, so I want to soak up the atmosphere over the next few days," he concluded.