The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 has delivered its first big conclusion even before the final round, with Javokhir Sindarov sealing the title dominantly. But while the Open section has a clear winner, the Women’s Candidates remains wide open heading into a tense finish.
Javokhir Sindarov Clinches Candidates, Sets Up World Title Clash
Javokhir Sindarov confirmed his place as the next challenger to Gukesh Dommaraju after holding Anish Giri to a draw in Round 13. The result was enough to make him uncatchable at the top of the standings with one round still to play.
The game itself may not have been dramatic, but it showed exactly why Sindarov has been the standout player of the tournament. He delivered a near-flawless performance, maintaining control throughout and finishing with remarkable accuracy. More importantly, he extended his unbeaten run to 50 games, underlining the consistency behind this breakthrough.
This victory is not just about the €70,000 prize. It secures Javokhir Sindarov a spot in the World Championship match, where he will face Gukesh in what is set to be the youngest title clash in history, with both players aged just 20.
Balance has defined Sindarov’s campaign. He attacked at the right times but, more importantly, he did not make any major mistakes. His victory against Fabiano Caruana earlier in the tournament was an important part of that, and his ability to hold back very difficult situations has shown a maturity beyond his years.
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Javokhir Sindarov looked very calm in Round 13 when others were in a fight for survival. After he exchanged his queens early in the game, he never let Giri have any real chances of winning.
On the other hand, Wei Yi had the only win in Round 13 by defeating Andrey Esipenko. Caruana was very close to winning against Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu but let his advantage slip away just before move 40 and ended up with a draw. Hikaru Nakamura and Matthias Bluebaum also drew their game.
Javokhir Sindarov can still achieve a record-breaking performance if he doesn’t lose in the last round.
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Women’s Candidates Heads for Dramatic Finish
While the Open section is done, the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 is heading into a chaotic and unpredictable final round.
Bibisara Assaubayeva and Vaishali Rameshbabu are tied at the top with 7.5 points after 13 rounds. Assaubayeva produced one of the standout performances of the day, defeating Anna Muzychuk with White to catch up in the standings.
Vaishali, on the other hand, had to fight hard to hold a draw with Black against Tan Zhongyi. The result kept her in the lead, but only just.
The biggest twist came in the game between Zhu Jiner and Aleksandra Goryachkina. Zhu had a strong position and a chance to take sole lead, but overpushed and suffered a costly defeat. That result leaves her half a point behind the leaders instead of ahead.
Meanwhile, Kateryna Lagno kept her hopes alive with a convincing win over Divya Deshmukh. With multiple players still in contention, even a playoff scenario involving several participants is now a real possibility.
Final Round Will Decide Everything
The Open section is already known as the winner, so the Women’s Candidates will be decided in the last round: With both Assaubayeva and Vaishali having control over their own fate, a win for either will assure at least a playoff spot for them both.
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Should certain things happen, it could also lead to 1 of only a handful of multi-player ties, resulting in more rapid and perhaps blitz tiebreaker games to determine who gets to challenge Ju Wenjun for the title at the World Championship level.
