FIDE Candidates 2026 R4: Javokhir Sindarov in sole lead after winning against Caruana

by Devansh Singh - 02/04/2026

Javokhir Sindarov is in a red-hot form. After defeating Praggnanandhaa with the black pieces in round 3, Sindarov scored a dominating win over Fabiano Caruana in round 4 of the FIDE Candidates 2026. This win gave him the sole lead going into the rest day. In another decisive result, Anish Giri scored his first win at FIDE Candidates 2026 against Andrey Esipenko with black pieces. In the Women's section, Divya Deshmukh suffered a tough loss against Zhu Jiner, and Anna Muzychuk won her game against Kateryna Lagno with white pieces. Today is a rest day at Candidates, and Round 5 will start on 3rd April at 15:45 Local Time/18:15 IST. Photos: Michal Walusza, Yoav Nis/ FIDE

Who's going to stop Sindarov??

Javokhir Sindarov is on an absolutely incredible run. He won 3/4 games he played till now and drew one of his games. He is now World no.6, rated 2759.2. Javokhir managed to completely outprepare Fabiano in the opening, gained an edge on the board and the clock, and went on to score the full point! With this win, Sindarov is the sole leader of the tournament by a full point - he is on 3.5/4 points going into the first rest day of the Candidates. Winning the World Cup and after that performance like this is clear proof that he is one of the favourites to win the Candidates.

Sindarov is giving an autograph on the DGT clock after winning his game against Caruana | Photo: Michal Walusza

Open Section

In the open section, there were two decisive results. Anish Giri won his first game of the Candidates against Andrey Esipenko, while Javokhir Sindarov beat Fabiano Caruana to take the sole lead. In a completely equal position, Wei Yi blundered, and Hikarau was clearly better in the rook endgame, but he was not able to find the best continuatiion and the game ended in a draw. R Praggnanandhaa and Matthias Bluebaum also drew their game.

First win for Giri as he played his Sicilian Najdorf against Esipenko | Photo: Michal Walusza

Javokhir Sindarov vs Fabiano Caruana (1-0)

Sindarov got a comfortable position out of the opening against Caruana and managed to outplay him in the middlegame. Javokhir managed to completely outprepare Fabiano in the opening, gained an edge on the board, and on the clock.

Sindarov played 14.c6 in this position, allowing Fabi to capture on a1 with a worse position or capture on c6. Followed by 15.Nd4 exchanges the knights. The black king in the center was looking vulnerable, and Sindarov managed to get the better of Fabi to win the game.

Javokhir Sindarov vs Fabiano Caruana (1-0) | Photo: Yoav Nis

Round 4 clash at the FIDE Candidates 2026 - Sindarov vs Caruana. Commentary by IM Sagar Shah.

Check out glimpses of the entire game, the post-game press conference, and a detailed interview with Javokhir Sindarov himself

Andrey Esipenko vs Anish Giri (0-1)

Anish Giri won a complex battle against Andrey Esipenko. Anish showed some really impressive opening preparation in the Sicilian Najdorf and calculated the ensuing complications precisely to win. Anish mentioned the line he played, and much more will come in his new Chessmonitor course - the chess analytics and opening software, which Anish is a co-owner of.

Andrey Esipenko vs Anish Giri (0-1) | Photo: Michal Walusza

In this video, we show you the final moments of his game, meeting his fans, a complete press conference, and a detailed game analysis after Anish joined the livestream!

Wei Yi - Hikaru Nakamura (0.5-0.5)

Wei Yi survived a really bad rook endgame against Hikaru Nakamura | Photo: Yoav Nis

Matthias Bluebaum vs R Praggnanandhaa (0.5-0.5)

Bluebaum played his 4th draw in a row, while it's second draw for Praggnanandhaa | Photo: Yoav Nis

Check out this round 4 clash at the FIDE candidates 2026 with commentary by IM Sagar Shah.

Round 4 Result | Graphic: FIDE

Standings after round 4 | Graphic: FIDE

Round 5 Pairings:

Replay games of the Open section

Women's Section

In the Women's section, there were two decisive results where Zhu Jiner won her game against Divya Deshmukh and Anna Muzychuk won against Kateryna Lagno. The games between Vaishali Rameshbabu vs Aleksandra Goryachkina and Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Tan Zhongyi ended in a draw.

Divya Deshmukh vs Zhu Jiner (0-1)

Divya got into serious trouble out of the opening, but had a couple of chances to fight back! But the time trouble was too severe for Divya, and she went on to lose. Going into the first rest day, Divya is on 1.5/4 points, while Zhu Jiner is on 2/4 points.

Divya Deshmukh vs Zhu Jiner (0-1) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Anna Muzychuk won her game against Kateryna Lagno | Photo: Yoav Nis

Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Tan Zhongyi (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Vaishali Rameshbabu vs Aleksandra Goryachkina (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Round 4 Result | Graphic: FIDE

Standings after round 4 | Graphic: FIDE

Round 5 Pairing

Replay games of the Women's section

Photo Gallery: ChessBase India, FIDE

Sindarov and Caruana during post match presss conference | Photo: Michal Walusza

When you know you messed up | Photo: Yoav Nis

Anish is always a fan favourite | Photo: Michal Walusza

The king walker?? GM Nigel Short | Photo: Michal Walusza

Win or lose doesn't matter, Fans are always there to cheer you up | Photo: Michal Walusza

One of them can be in Sindarov's place one day | Photo: Michal Walusza

Long Queues for Autographs | Photo: Michal Walusza

You can see the fire in those eyes | Photo: Yoav Nis

Guess who is there to catch all the moments | Photo: Michal Walusza

What a beautiful click by Yoav Nis | Photo: Yoav Nis

Videos:

Check out the initial moments of the 4th round at the FIDE Candidates 2026 as the players make their way into the game | Video: ChesBase India

Check out a detailed recap by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal of the 4th round in the FIDE Candidates 2026 | Video: ChesBase India

Watch Live Stream by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal from Cyprus | Video: ChesBase India

Pairings: Round 5

Graphic: FIDE

Venue: Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, Cyprus

Official FIDE partner for Candidates 2026 | Photo: FIDE Chess

The multi-award-winning Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort has been selected by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) as the ideal destination to host the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, an event of historic and international significance. This selection represents the highest recognition both for Cyprus and for Cap St Georges Hotel& Resort, affirming the prestige, reliability, and organizational excellence required to host a world-class chess tournament. Surrounded by landscaped gardens with centuries-old olive trees, the resort reflects the island’s character through refined architecture and well-designed spaces, with a strong focus on privacy, comfort, and attentive service.

Both tournaments are held side by side at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Cyprus, a five-star coastal venue near Paphos. The resort offers a calm and professional setting for elite competition, with the playing hall, accommodation, and preparation areas located within the same complex, allowing players to focus fully on the event. Photo Gallery of Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort

Enjoy an amazing venue tour of the FIDE Candidates 2026 in Cyprus, happening at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Paphos. Sagar and Amruta give an extensive tour. Enjoy!

Schedule and Format

Each tournament features eight of the world’s strongest players competing in a double round-robin format over fourteen rounds of classical chess. All the games will start at 15:30 Local Time/18:15 IST

Key details and Information

Two tournaments will be held side by side – the (Open) FIDE Candidates Tournament and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.

Format: In both the Open and the Women’s, the eight qualified players will compete in a double round-robin tournament, consisting of 14 rounds.

Time control: The games will be played with a time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 41.

Prize fund: The minimum prize fund for the event stands at a record €1,000,000.

Tie-breaks: In the event of a tie for first place after 14 rounds, a playoff will be held to determine the winner who qualifies for the World Championship Match, which will take place in November 2026.