Sindarov Sets Big Blits Goal After Painful Draw

Uzbek grandmaster Javohir Sindarov finished the first part of the prestigious rapid and blitz tournament in St. Louis just one point behind the leader. On the final day of the rapid stage, he defeated Awonder Liang and drew with Leinier Dominguez and Wesley So.

Sindarov assessed the day positively but admitted that the missed win against Dominguez had affected him deeply. Now the Uzbek chess player aims for a maximum score in the 18-round blitz stage, where the tournament will be decided.

One rushed move turned a win into a draw

In the seventh round of the rapid, Sindarov played Leinier Dominguez with the white pieces. The Uzbek grandmaster had a significant positional and time advantage throughout the game, but a rushed decision at the critical moment cost him the win.

“In this game, I had a six-minute advantage over my opponent’s one and a half minutes, as well as a completely winning position. But one rushed move made me throw away the win. It was very painful.”

In rapid and blitz, an advantage on the clock can sometimes become a more dangerous weapon than an advantage on the chessboard. While Dominguez was making decisions under time pressure, Sindarov had the chance to finish the game calmly. But that is also the brutal side of fast chess — one inaccurate move can change the entire character of a game.

Nevertheless, Sindarov stressed the importance of not carrying his post-game emotions into future contests.

“Once the game is over, you have to learn to forget such situations quickly.”

According to the official results, the game between Sindarov and Dominguez ended in a draw.

The trap worked against Liang

In the next round, Sindarov played American Awonder Liang with the black pieces. This time, the Uzbek chess player exploited his opponent’s mistake right in the opening and converted the game into a convincing victory.

“This game went very smoothly. My opponent missed tactical opportunities in the opening, and his bishop on h7 was trapped. I eventually converted the win easily thanks to my positional advantage.”

The bishop’s limited mobility left Liang in an uncomfortable position for a long time. Sindarov did not turn his advantage into a win through an immediate sharp attack, but by gradually improving the placement of his pieces.

The result allowed the Uzbek grandmaster to remain among the leaders ahead of the final round of the rapid stage. The official tournament standings also recorded Sindarov’s victory over Liang.

Points were shared with Wesley So in the final round

In the final game of the rapid stage, Sindarov faced American Wesley So. Neither player gained a decisive advantage, and the game ended in a draw.

As a result, Sindarov went unbeaten in the rapid section. He won twice and drew seven times in nine games.

Under the Grand Chess Tour scoring system, each rapid win is worth two points and a draw one point. Sindarov therefore collected 11 points and finished the rapid stage in second place.

Just one point behind the leader

After the rapid stage, India’s Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa leads the standings with 12 points. Sindarov is one point behind him, while Wesley So is third with 10 points.

Dominguez, Anish Giri, Vincent Keymer and Levon Aronian occupy the next places with nine points each. The standings are so tight that a few blitz results could completely change the balance of power.

The half-chance Sindarov missed against Dominguez is especially painful: a win in that game could have made him the rapid-stage leader. But the main battle is still ahead.

Victory in Charlotte gives him confidence

Ahead of the blitz stage, Sindarov recalled his positive memories of fast chess in the United States.

“Overall, the rapid stage ended well for me. After my victory in Charlotte, I hope the blitz stage in the United States will be more successful for me than the one in Warsaw.”

In July, the Uzbek chess player won both the rapid and blitz events at the Daniel Naroditsky Memorial in Charlotte. He took first place in the blitz final with 7.5 points, scoring six wins and three draws.

That result showed that Sindarov can remain consistent under intense pressure in short time controls. However, the competition in St. Louis is even stronger: almost all the participants are grandmasters ranked among the world’s elite.

Eighteen fast-paced battles await

The blitz section of the St. Louis tournament will be held over two days. The players will face each other twice, for a total of 18 games. In blitz, a win is worth one point and a draw half a point.

In this format, a one-point lead after the rapid is not a major advantage. With nine games played in a single day, even a minor loss of confidence can lead to a string of defeats, while a strong start can produce a sharp rise in the standings.

“I will try to collect the maximum number of points,” Sindarov said.

His rapid result leaves him with a strong chance to fight for the title: he is just one point behind the leader and has yet to lose a game. Now the key question is not the win he missed against Dominguez, but whether Sindarov can turn that pain into extra strength in the blitz. Leave your opinion in the comments and share the article with sports fans on Telegram or other social networks!