The first round of the World Chess Championship Candidates Tournament concluded on 5 April at the Cap St Georges Hotel on the west coast of Cyprus, with a commanding performance by 20-year-old Javokhir Sindarov. The Uzbek grandmaster secured five victories in seven games, placing him firmly at the top of the standings.
In the women’s competition, Anna Muzychuk, who joined the tournament line-up only a week before the start, has taken the lead after winning two games and remaining undefeated.
Sindarov’s remarkable start
Sindarov’s score of six points from a possible seven marks one of the strongest starts in the history of the Candidates Tournament since the International Chess Federation (FIDE) introduced the current round-robin format with eight players in 2013.
In recent editions, Ian Nepomniachtchi collected five and a half points after seven rounds in 2021, while Magnus Carlsen in 2013 and Fabiano Caruana in 2018 both reached five points.
Historically, only a few players have achieved stronger results at this stage. The 11th World Champion Robert Fischer famously defeated Mark Taimanov and Bent Larsen by identical 6–0 scores in Candidates matches, while Veselin Topalov scored six and a half points from seven games in the opening phase of the 2005 FIDE World Championship in San Luis, Argentina.
Sindarov’s victories in Cyprus have been described as convincing and well deserved. The young grandmaster has played quickly and confidently throughout the tournament. In one of the most discussed moments of the event, during his game against Hikaru Nakamura, Sindarov spent part of the time in the rest area while Nakamura considered his 13th move for 67 minutes.
Muzychuk leads women’s section
In the women’s Candidates Tournament, Ukrainian grandmaster Anna Muzychuk currently leads the standings.
Muzychuk, a former world rapid and blitz champion, joined the competition shortly before it began and had limited time to prepare for each opponent. Despite this, she has recorded two victories and has not suffered a defeat so far.
Notable moments from the tournament
Sindarov himself has said that he might be playing the best tournament of his life, although he emphasised that his career is still at an early stage.
Following his loss to Sindarov, Hikaru Nakamura, who entered the competition as the highest-rated player, remarked that he had arrived in Cyprus “on holiday”.
Meanwhile, the seventh-round game between Divya Deshmukh and Kateryna Lagno lasted 135 moves, becoming the longest encounter before the weekend break.
Training session with Viswanathan Anand
Alongside the tournament, former world champion Viswanathan Anand held a training session on 5 April with members of the Cyprus national chess team.
Participants included seven-time national champion Konstantinos Michaelides, recent national champions Alexandros Isaakidis and Rafail Antoniou, as well as Konstantinos Konstantinides, Savvas Konstantinides and Samuel Johannes Constantinou.
Anand, currently First Vice-President of FIDE, discussed strategic preparation, psychological aspects of competition and decision-making in critical moments of a game.
Tournament details
The Men’s and Women’s Candidates Tournaments are taking place at the Cap St Georges Hotel near Paphos from 28 March to 16 April. The competition features a total prize fund of one million euros and is organised with the financial support of Freedom Holding and the Sheinberg family.
The event also includes a fan zone offering masterclasses, lectures, simultaneous exhibitions and discussions with leading figures from the world of chess. Spectators have the opportunity to meet players during Q&A sessions, autograph signings and photo opportunities.
Live commentary on the games is provided by grandmasters Peter Svidler and Jan Gustafsson through the FIDE YouTube channel.