Javokhir Sindarov wins Clutch Chess showdown before world title match
The Uzbek grandmaster finished on 20.5 points in St. Louis ahead of his world championship challenge.
Javokhir Sindarov won the Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown in St. Louis, finishing ahead of Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura. He now prepares to face Gukesh Dommaraju in Geneva.
Key takeaways
- Javokhir Sindarov won Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown with 20.5 points
- Prize money and bonuses totalled $168,000
- Praggnanandhaa finished second with 19 points
- World Championship match against Gukesh Dommaraju starts on 24 November in Geneva
Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov won the second edition of Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown in St. Louis, United States, on October 29, 2026, earning $168,000 in prize money and bonuses just weeks before his World Chess Championship match against reigning champion Gukesh Dommaraju of India.
5 points behind the leader. 5 points and Hikaru Nakamura with 12 points.
How Sindarov took the title
The tournament brought together four leading grandmasters for rapid games played with 10 minutes per player plus five seconds added after each move.
Unlike conventional chess competitions, Clutch Chess awards increasingly more points for victories as the event progresses, with a win worth one point on the first day, two on the second and three on the final day. 5 points behind Praggnanandhaa, with Fabiano Caruana also in contention.
On the last day, Sindarov drew his first game against Praggnanandhaa before winning the second. He then defeated Caruana after a tense time scramble to take control of the tournament.
Sindarov’s most notable performance came against Nakamura, when the Uzbek grandmaster played the King’s Indian Defence with the black pieces and launched an attack involving several sacrifices. Sindarov said the game was one of the best King’s Indian games he had ever played in his life.
Praggnanandhaa remained in title contention until the final game but eventually finished second, while Sindarov secured the title with a draw against Nakamura in the last round.
Why it matters
The victory gives Sindarov strong momentum heading into his World Championship clash with Gukesh Dommaraju. Sindarov earned the opportunity to challenge Gukesh after winning the 2026 Candidates Tournament. The championship match is scheduled to begin on 24 November in Geneva, Switzerland. Sindarov’s St. Louis victory was his final competitive appearance before facing Gukesh for the world title.
Background
Sindarov is an Uzbek chess grandmaster and a prodigy who became a grandmaster in 2018 at the age of 12 years, 10 months and 8 days, the second-youngest in history at the time. Representing Uzbekistan, he was a member of the team that won gold at the 44th Chess Olympiad and the 46th Chess Olympiad.
Final standings at Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown
Player | Points |
|---|---|
Javokhir Sindarov | 20.5 |
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa | 19 |
Fabiano Caruana | 16.5 |
Hikaru Nakamura | 12 |
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