Javohir Sindarov takes revenge on Praggnanandhaa and continues the championship race

The prestigious Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown 2026 tournament, featuring the world's chess elite in St. Louis, USA, has entered its decisive stage. In this super-tournament with a total prize fund of $425,000, four of the world's strongest grandmasters, including Uzbek chess star Javohir Sindarov, are competing for the top prize.

This competition serves as the final and most responsible test for our compatriot ahead of the historic World Championship match against the reigning world champion, Gukesh Dommaraju.

Second day of competition: Intense revenge and uncompromising struggle

The second day of the tournament was quite complex and full of dramatic events for our compatriot:

• Revenge against Praggnanandhaa: In the first game of the day, Sindarov lost to India's Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, but in the second game, despite playing with the black pieces, he defeated his opponent to take a well-deserved revenge;

• Clash with Caruana and Nakamura: In the second round, Javohir recorded one loss and one draw against the host representative Fabiano Caruana. Both games against Hikaru Nakamura in the third round ended in draws;

• Standings: Based on the results of the two days of play, Sindarov has accumulated 8.5 points and is tied for 2nd place with Caruana. India's Praggnanandhaa has taken the lead with 11 points, while Nakamura has 8 points. Javohir has already secured $3,000 in personal prize money so far.

Rules and the decisive third day: The value of one victory is 3 points

The tournament regulations ensure high intrigue until the very last minutes:

• Rapid time control: Each participant plays a total of 18 rapid games, with a time control of 10 minutes plus a 5-second increment per move;

• Increasing point system: A unique aspect of the tournament is that the value of points awarded for a win increases day by day: Day 1 — 1 point, Day 2 — 2 points, and Day 3 — 3 points;

• Life-changing opportunity: Just one victory on the third day is equivalent to three victories on the first day. This can instantly erase the current point difference and give any grandmaster the opportunity to climb to the championship podium in the end.

The final round matches in St. Louis will become a huge testing ground for Javohir Sindarov, not only for the $425,000 prize fund but also for gaining psychological superiority ahead of the upcoming World Championship clash.