"I'm preparing for his strongest match" - Sindorov on the race for the World Title

“I’m preparing for his strongest game” — Sindorov on World Title Challenge

Uzbek grandmaster Javohir Sindorov is focusing on his opponent’s recent results, not his preparation, ahead of his upcoming match against reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju.

The 20-year-old Sindorov earned his place in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, earning him a spot in the World Championship. He also won the World Cup.

The Uzbek chess player said that Gukesh’s recent tournament results do not fully reflect his potential, and that he will focus on his own game.

“Gukesh is a very strong player. I have played with him several times and I know his strength. I don’t want to say too much before the match. I just want to play my best and enjoy the match,” said Sindorov.

The World Championship match will be held in Geneva from November 25 to December 15. The two players will compete in 14 classic games. Since Gukesh and Sindorov are both 20 years old, this will be the youngest championship match in history.

There has been much discussion about Gukesh’s lack of consistent results since winning the World Championship in 2024. However, Sindorov stressed that he is not paying too much attention to his opponent's recent tournament performances:

"He can play completely differently in the World Championship match. I am preparing for his strongest game."

Sindorov is preparing for the match in Geneva under the guidance of his coach Roman Vidonyak. The grandmaster does not intend to radically change his previously successful training methods.

"We will not change everything. The methods we used in previous tournaments have worked. Now we will improve them even more," said the Uzbek grandmaster.

For your information, Javohir Sindorov will participate in the fourth season of the Global Chess League before the World Championship match. He will also participate in the 46th World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand as part of the Uzbekistan national team.