With excitement increasing for the World Chess Championship showdown later this year, Javokhir Sindarov does everything in his power to avoid being overwhelmed by the pressure of playing against reigning World Champion D Gukesh.
The Uzbek Grandmaster recently faced Gukesh during the Grand Chess Tour: Super Rapid & Blitz Poland, giving fans a small preview of what could unfold when the two meet for the world title.
While Gukesh won their rapid encounter, Javokhir Sindarov responded strongly in blitz chess, defeating the Indian star twice in an intense back-and-forth contest that immediately grabbed attention across the chess world.
Despite the growing hype, Javokhir Sindarov said he is deliberately trying not to overthink the championship match.
Javokhir Sidarov said, “Actually, maybe, but I don’t want to think too much like I’m going to play against the world champion. I’m just trying to focus every game on playing against the world’s best players, and I will try to play good chess.”
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“I don’t think about this too much because you can go crazy if you think about all these things. My match will be at the end of the year, and right now I’m trying to focus on my next few tournaments.”
Javokhir Sindarov Recalls First Meeting With Gukesh
Javokhir Sindarov revealed that his connection with Gukesh goes back nearly a decade, long before both became two of the biggest young names in world chess.
According to the Uzbek GM, they first played each other around 2016 or 2017, when Gukesh was still emerging through the junior ranks.
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Javokhir Sindarov said, “It’s actually a long time ago, maybe 10 years ago or even more. I remember we played our first game in maybe 2016 or 2017. He was very young, and I had a very good score against him in classical chess.”
At the time, Javokhir Sindarov already sensed D Gukesh was destined for the top level.
“He was younger than me as a grandmaster. I think I was in second place at that time. At that time, I knew he would become a very strong player,” he added.
The respect between the two appears clear, especially considering both players belong to a new generation rapidly reshaping elite chess alongside names like Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin.
But while fans may expect a close friendship between two young stars constantly competing at the highest level, Sindarov admitted that his relationship with Gukesh remains strictly professional.
“I’m a very straightforward guy, but I’ve never spoken with Gukesh,” Javokhir Sindarov said honestly.
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“I have friends from India- Arjun, Nihal. I’m very good friends with them, but I’ve never spoken with Gukesh. So we only talk about the game, nothing too much beyond that.”
The comment quickly drew attention online because of how unusual it is in modern chess, where many young players regularly train, travel, and interact together on the global circuit.
Interestingly, Javokhir Sindarov’s path toward the world title match became possible after Gukesh himself stepped away from the Grand Chess Tour lineup earlier this year to focus on championship preparation.
Javokhir Sindarov replaced him in the field and later went on to win the Candidates Tournament, officially earning the right to challenge the Indian world champion later this year.
