Team Herald
PANJIM: Newly crowned 19-year-old FIDE World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov has offered a detailed, measured account of the strategy, preparation and emotional endurance that powered him to one of the biggest breakthroughs of his young career.
Sindarov said he arrived at the Goa final with a clear plan: steer the match towards the 5+3 tie-breaks, where he and his team – led by his brother – had prepared several surprise lines. In the longer 10+10 and 15+10 rapid games, he simply aimed ‘to play solidly and take chances only if they appeared’. He believed his preparation ‘was superior’.
He sensed a turning point in the second rapid game. Though he had even offered a draw, he felt his opponent had stopped pushing. With about 20 seconds left on the clock, he calculated a decisive attacking sequence ‘very quickly’.
Even as he became the youngest-ever World Cup winner at 19, Sindarov insisted it was ‘only the beginning’. His ambitions are clear: cross 2750, win the Candidates, and fight for the World Championship.
He admitted to missing a win in the first tie-break after Bb5, overlooking the bishop exchange that neutralised his attack. His brother later showed him that Bxg4 had been winning. “I felt a little sad,” he said, “but overall I was satisfied with my solid play.”
The brothers’ visible bond, he said, was forged over 26 intense days of four-to-five-hour preparations before and after every round. After qualifying for the Candidates they were ‘completely exhausted’, but the opportunity to play a World Cup final kept them going.
He acknowledged nerves before the last game. His opponent’s speed unsettled him. “I believed my calculation and endgame skills were better,” he said, “but the quick play made me second-guess myself.” Once he settled, he won what he called “one of the toughest matches of my life”.
Sindarov said Uzbekistan already celebrates its chess heroes after winning Olympic gold with the youngest team – of which he was part at 16. Joining Rustam Kasimdzhanov as a World Cup winner, he hopes the 20-year gap between titles inspires a new generation.
On celebrations, he laughed off the idea of emulating Magnus Carlsen’s pool jump. “This is only the World Cup. Maybe one day, if I become World Champion.”
He credited UzChess and the Uzbek government for strong support – an apartment, car and financial rewards after the Olympiad – and praised the country’s thriving chess environment, including the Rapid & Blitz and Grand Swiss and the upcoming Olympiad.
Sindarov traced his chess foundations to his grandfather, who coached him from age four until he became the youngest GM at 12 years and 10 months. A period of lost motivation followed, while peers like Abdusattorov, Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh surged past 2600. “That was the wake-up call,” he said. Training ten hours a day with coach Roman restored his trajectory. “Consistent hard work eventually brings results.”
He said India brings him luck: he won the Olympiad on his last visit and now the World Cup. On the eve of the final he relaxed – swimming, playing video games – and prepared only lightly. In the final, extra rest and the surprise 1.d4 helped seal the title.
Sindarov sees India and Uzbekistan as emerging rivals over the next decade. For now, he wants to go home, rest, and prepare for the Global Chess League and Tata Steel India.
