Photo: Michal Walusza / FIDE
Uzbek chess prodigy Javokhir Sindarov shared his thoughts on the draw recorded in the 12th round of the Candidates Tournament against American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.
This game went down as one of the shortest in the tournament’s history. The players chose a variation of the Catalan Opening and agreed to a draw after about 35 minutes.
At the post-game press conference, Sindarov openly admitted that his main goal in this round was to save energy and avoid excessive risk. According to him, the previous round against Fabiano Caruana had been very tough and had left him quite exhausted.
— “Today’s draw is a good result. In the current situation, I saw no reason to play a long and hard game against Nakamura. That’s why I avoided risky lines. If he had wanted a long game, I was ready. But I expected him to choose a cautious approach as well. I even felt before the game that there would be a quick draw. Yesterday’s game was very tough and I was tired,” said Javokhir Sindarov.
In this round, his closest rival, Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri, also drew his game. Thus, with two rounds remaining, the gap between Sindarov (9 points) and Giri (7 points) is 2 points.
The most important detail is that these two players will face each other in the next round. A draw in that game could secure Sindarov the tournament victory early. For Giri, only a theoretical chance of finishing first remains.
Sindarov stated that he is fully prepared for the upcoming match:
— “Anish will most likely try to play a long game. I am ready for any scenario. If he tries to win, I will fight too. But I will act according to the tournament situation. I prepare through ChessBase, I analyze his games. What he posts on social media is not important to me,” he said.
April 13 was a rest day in the tournament. Sindarov plans to spend his free time resting and doing light activities.
— “I’ll rest, play video games. Maybe even Counter-Strike,” he said with a smile.
The games of the 13th round will start on April 14 at 17:45 Tashkent time. Sindarov will play against Giri with the black pieces. Their first encounter ended in a draw.
If Sindarov secures the championship in this tournament, he will earn the right to play for the World Championship title against Dommaraju Gukesh.
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