India’s R Praggnanandhaa believes there is still no clear favourite in the highly anticipated World Chess Championship showdown between reigning world champion D Gukesh and Uzbek sensation Javokhir Sindarov, despite growing predictions backing the latter.
Praggnanandhaa made the remarks after handing Sindarov his first classical defeat in eight months during Round 2 of the Super Chess Classic 2026 in Romania. The Indian Grandmaster outplayed the Uzbek prodigy in a result that immediately grabbed attention across the chess world, considering Sindarov’s extraordinary unbeaten streak leading into the event.
R Praggnanandhaa refuses to pick a favourite
While several big names in chess, including former world champions Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov, have publicly backed Sindarov to beat Gukesh in the World Championship later this year, Praggnanandhaa took a far more balanced view.
When asked by ChessBase India about who he sees as the favourite, Pragg said:
“The world championship is 6 months away. No one knows what form they will go in. I think it’s just 50-50. I don’t think anyone is a favourite. It’s just about who plays the best at the World Championship that will take it.”
Read More
The statement comes at a time when the chess community has increasingly leaned toward Sindarov after his dominant performances in classical events over the past several months.
Javokhir Sindarov’s remarkable run finally ends
Before being defeated by Praggnanandhaa in Romania, Sindarov had not been defeated in classical chess before September 2025. His last loss came at the hands of Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria in Round 3 of the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament in Samarkand. Since that time, the Uzbek teenager has become virtually unbeatable.
Sindarov has not only gone on an undefeated streak at the FIDE World Cup in Goa, but he also had tremendous success at the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, qualifying for the World Championship with an undefeated record.
Read More
This winning streak has raised expectations for Sindarov, and many now consider him one of the most well-rounded and promising young players in the world.
Why Carlsen believes Sindarov has the edge
Last month, Magnus Carlsen openly picked Sindarov as the likely winner of the World Championship clash against Gukesh during a Chess Party event in Stockholm.
“At the moment it’s impossible not to say Sindarov, but we know anything can happen in a World Championship match,” Magnus Carlsen had said.
“I am first of all really curious as to what Sindarov will do in the next few months because he is very different from Gukesh. In the sense that Gukesh has very obvious weaknesses when it comes to his understanding, and Sindarov does not. He is a lot more well-rounded.”
Carlsen’s comments quickly became a major talking point, especially because Gukesh is currently the reigning world champion and one of India’s biggest sporting stars.
Kasparov also backs Sindarov, but warns against writing off Gukesh
Garry Kasparov echoed similar sentiments while discussing the upcoming match in an interview with the St Louis Chess Club’s YouTube channel.
Read More
“Compared to Gukesh, if you look at the games, Sindarov looks like the clear favourite. But this match is a special format. Gukesh is very mentally stable, able to defend any position and find resources even in the worst situations.”
“Gukesh has match experience, but for Sindarov, this will be his first serious match. Yes, it’s relatively short- 14 games, we’ve played longer games before but it will still be very interesting,” Kasparov said.
His assessment highlights one key factor many analysts believe could decide the contest: experience under World Championship pressure.
Experts are comparing the anticipated Gukesh vs Sindarov match to the great rivalries in chess history, such as Fischer vs. Spassky and Kasparov vs. Karpov, as both players have quickly risen to the top of chess and are expected to be the long-term ambassadors of the game globally.
