19-year-old chess player from Uzbekistan, Javokhir Sindarov, achieved a historic success by becoming the youngest champion of the World Cup. In the final, which took place on November 26, he defeated Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi, who is ranked 9th in the world.
In the first two classical games, the results were draws, as well as in the first rapid game. However, in the second rapid game, Javokhir managed to win, playing with the black pieces. After the match, he quickly left the playing area.
For his outstanding achievement, Sindarov will receive a prize of $120,000 and became the first Uzbek chess player to secure a place in the Candidates Tournament of 2026.
Javokhir Sindarov is among the youngest grandmasters in the world. In 2022, he was part of the Uzbekistan national team that won gold at the World Chess Olympiad. In 2024, his team won bronze medals, which is also considered a significant achievement.
The next Olympiad is scheduled for 2026 in Samarkand, where the Uzbek authorities have allocated over $4 million for the organization of this prestigious event.
The World Cup is the largest knockout chess tournament held every two years under the auspices of FIDE. In 2025, it took place in Goa, India, with 206 chess players participating. The previous World Cup was won by Norwegian Magnus Carlsen; however, he did not participate in this competition.
