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How is Sindarov crushing the candidates?

Hikaru needs to retire, his performance has been embarrassing. and to think he was the top seed by rating is crazy

Hikaru needs to retire, his performance has been embarrassing. and to think he was the top seed by rating is crazy

"Still theoretically possible"

  • Only if Sindarov loses 2 and Giri wins 2.
"Still theoretically possible" * Only if Sindarov loses 2 and Giri wins 2.

@plmw said ^

Hikaru needs to retire, his performance has been embarrassing. and to think he was the top seed by rating is crazy

Why would a player need to retire after a poor tournament? I know GMs who played until 70, 80 or even longer.

@plmw said [^](/forum/redirect/post/4SG5ExVK) > Hikaru needs to retire, his performance has been embarrassing. and to think he was the top seed by rating is crazy Why would a player need to retire after a poor tournament? I know GMs who played until 70, 80 or even longer.

For a top grandmaster chess is his profession, his source of income, and the only thing he is really good at.
Only those who got rich can retire: Fischer, Kasparov, Kramnik.
It takes character to play on: Lasker, Smyslov, Spassky, Korchnoi..

For a top grandmaster chess is his profession, his source of income, and the only thing he is really good at. Only those who got rich can retire: Fischer, Kasparov, Kramnik. It takes character to play on: Lasker, Smyslov, Spassky, Korchnoi..

Sindarov is a really good chess player, but judging him from just one tournament and harshly criticizing players like H. Nakamura and F. Caruana (who finished 2nd and 3rd) doesn't make sense to me.

Sindarov is a really good chess player, but judging him from just one tournament and harshly criticizing players like H. Nakamura and F. Caruana (who finished 2nd and 3rd) doesn't make sense to me.

"judging him from just one tournament"

  • He also won the 2025 World Cup.

"criticizing players like H. Nakamura and F. Caruana (who finished 2nd and 3rd)"

  • Caruana is 3rd and Nakamura is 5th, though rated 2nd and 1st.
"judging him from just one tournament" * He also won the 2025 World Cup. "criticizing players like H. Nakamura and F. Caruana (who finished 2nd and 3rd)" * Caruana is 3rd and Nakamura is 5th, though rated 2nd and 1st.

@GeneralChessKing said ^

Sindarov is a really good chess player, but judging him from just one tournament and harshly criticizing players like H. Nakamura and F. Caruana (who finished 2nd and 3rd) doesn't make sense to me.

He won the 2025 FIDE World Cup and got 2nd in Wijk aan Zee.

@GeneralChessKing said [^](/forum/redirect/post/gP9f82J9) > Sindarov is a really good chess player, but judging him from just one tournament and harshly criticizing players like H. Nakamura and F. Caruana (who finished 2nd and 3rd) doesn't make sense to me. He won the 2025 FIDE World Cup and got 2nd in Wijk aan Zee.

@Iateadogyesterday said ^

So far in the men's candidates tournament 2026, Javokhir Sindarov has been absolutely dominating the tournament (as everyone probably knows already), and has shocked the chess world. But given Sindarov's relatively lower FIDE rating than other giants (Sindarov isn't even top 10), and how much hype players like Hikaru and Caruana got, how is it so that Sindarov is probably the clear winner now? Please share your thoughts about the ongoing candidates situation, and why Sindarov has been doing exceptionally recently.

it's a combination of niche prep and novel ideas that lets his opponents run low on time, causing them to build up pressure and make a mistake. The candidates would be going slightly differently were the time control different; but that doesn't take away from sindarov's crushing talent in the slightest

@Iateadogyesterday said [^](/forum/redirect/post/95GYOKa5) > So far in the men's candidates tournament 2026, Javokhir Sindarov has been absolutely dominating the tournament (as everyone probably knows already), and has shocked the chess world. But given Sindarov's relatively lower FIDE rating than other giants (Sindarov isn't even top 10), and how much hype players like Hikaru and Caruana got, how is it so that Sindarov is probably the clear winner now? Please share your thoughts about the ongoing candidates situation, and why Sindarov has been doing exceptionally recently. it's a combination of niche prep and novel ideas that lets his opponents run low on time, causing them to build up pressure and make a mistake. The candidates would be going slightly differently were the time control different; but that doesn't take away from sindarov's crushing talent in the slightest