Before the World Crown: Javokhir Sindarov starts the super-tournament in St. Louis undefeated
Young Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov has made a successful start at the prestigious Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown 2026 tournament, which kicked off in St. Louis, considered the chess capital of the USA.
For our compatriot, this competition serves as the final and most serious preparation stage ahead of the historic World Crown match against the current world champion from India, Gukesh Dommaraju. In this tournament, which features a total prize fund of $425,000, four of the world's strongest elite grandmasters have gathered at the board to compete for the top prize.
First day results: Undefeated streak and 2nd place
Javokhir Sindarov played a total of 6 games on the first day of the competition and did not lose a single one:
Victory over Praggnanandhaa: In the first round, he won the first game against the famous Indian grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and drew the second (1.5:0.5);
Compromise with Fabiano Caruana: In the second round, both games against the tournament host and USA's No. 1 chess player, Fabiano Caruana, ended in a draw (1:1);
Clash with Hikaru Nakamura: In the final 3rd round of the day, a draw was also chosen in both games against Hikaru Nakamura, one of the world's strongest masters in rapid and blitz (1:1);
Standings: Based on the results of the first day, Sindarov has accumulated 3.5 points and is in sole 2nd place in the tournament table, earning an initial bonus of $1,000. Hikaru Nakamura took the lead with 4 points.
Tournament table and point distribution (after Day 1)
Rank | Grandmaster | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total Points | Bonus Prize |
1 | Hikaru Nakamura (USA) | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 4.0 | $2,000 |
2 | Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan) | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.5 | $1,000 |
3 | Fabiano Caruana (USA) | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.5 | $1,000 |
4 | Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (India) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | $1,000 |
The main intrigue of the tournament rules: Point values increase day by day
The Clutch Chess format is distinguished by its uncompromising and unexpected regulations:
Regulations and time control: Each participant will compete in a total of 18 rapid games during the tournament. The time control is 10 minutes for each player plus a 5-second increment per move;
Increasing value of victory: The most important aspect of the competition is that while 1 point is awarded for a win on Day 1, a win on Day 2 brings 2 points, and on the decisive Day 3, a win brings 3 points;
The fight is still ahead: This system means that a single victory on the final day is equivalent to three victories on the first day, guaranteeing that the main championship battle is still to come.
Javokhir Sindarov's confident and calm play against world chess stars demonstrates that he has arrived in top athletic form for the upcoming World Crown match.
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