FIDE Candidates 2026 R6: Sindarov wins again, beats Wei Yi to maintain his lead

by Devansh Singh - 05/04/2026

It looks like Javokhir Sindarov wants to win the FIDE Candidates 2026 with rounds to spare. He scored his 4th win in a row, now taking down Wei Yi with the black pieces in round 6. He played a daring game, allowing doubled pawns and keeping his king in the center. Despite the complexity, he maintained a "calm and quiet" dynamic style, eventually crushing Wei Yi under time pressure. With R Praggnanandhaa making a solid draw against Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana drawing Andrey Esipenko, and Anish Giri trying for a long time but drawing against Matthias Bluebaum, Javokhir's win is all the more significant as he now has a 1.5-point lead in the field going into the 7th round. Round 7 will start on 5th April at 15:45 Local Time/18:15 IST. Photos: Michal Walusza, Yoav Nis/ FIDE

5 wins in 6 Games!!

Even on days when every other game ends in a solid draw without much action, you can count on one player to score a win. For the Candidates Tournament 2026, that player is Javokhir Sindarov. 4th win in a row and 5th of the tournament shows his class and will to win the Candidates 2026. Sindarov leads the pack with an astounding 5.5/6 score. He is currently 1.5 points ahead of his closest rival, Fabiano Caruana.

Question: How many games have you won in 6 rounds?

Sindarov:

Open Section

The open section saw just one decisive result, where Javokhir Sindarov won his game against Wei Yi, making his lead 1 point to 1.5 points. All other games ended in a solid draw.

Praggnanandhaa decided to repeat the moves against Nakamura to draw his game | Photo: Yoav Nis

Wei Yi vs Javokhir Sindarov (0-1)

It was an interesting battle where Sindarov made some brave decisions. This was the first classical game between Wei Yi and Sindarov. Sindarov managed to equalise in the opening and got a comfortable endgame position with a huge time lead.

Responding to 29...Qxe4, Wei Yi played 30.Rxd6, allowing the trade of rooks, and it was clearly winning for Sindarov in the Queen-Rook endgame

Wei Yi vs Javokhir Sindarov (0-1) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Check out this 6th round clash from the FIDE Candidates 2026 between Wei Yi and Javokhir Sindarov. Absolutely stunning chess! Commentary by IM Sagar Shah.

Anish Giri vs Matthias Bluebaum was a long battle that ended in a draw | Photo: Michal Walusza

Hikaru Nakamura and R. Praggnanandhaa drew their game in just 23 moves | Photo: Yoav Nis

Fabiano Caruana vs Andrey Esipenko (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Sindarov at the press conference after this 5th win of the tournament | Photo: Yoav Nis

Do you know why Anish is smiling here? even idk -_- | Photo: Michal Walusza

Round 6 Result | Graphic: FIDE

Standings after round 6 | Graphic: FIDE

Round 7 Pairings:

Replay games of the Open section

Women's Section

The 6th round of FIDE Women's Candidates 2026 was an amazing one for the Indian players. Both Vaishali and Divya won their games! Divya Deshmukh defeated Bibisara Assaubayeva with the Black pieces, outplaying her from an equal Major piece ending. Vaishali Rameshbabu came out on top against Kateryna Lagno in a completely wild game. Anna Muzychuk became the sole leader, scoring a very important win with the Black pieces against Zhu Jiner. Anna is now leading with a full point margin. Tan Zhongyi made a solid draw against Aleksandra Goryachkina.

Happy mood after winning her first game at the Candidates | Photo: Michal Walusza

Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Divya Deshmukh (0-1)

Divya showed a great spirit in her game against Bibisara. In a position that could have been a three-fold repetition, Divya stunned her opponent by playing Qd8 to keep the game alive. She eventually converted the equal position into her first win.

After repeating twice, Divya decided to play 34...Qd8, continuing the game that was heading towards a draw

Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Divya Deshmukh (0-1) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Check out this amazing struggle between Kazakh no.1 Bibisara Assaubayeva vs Divya Deshmukh from round 6 of the FIDE Women's Candidates 2026. Commentary by IM Sagar Shah.

Kateryna Lagno vs Rameshbabu Vaishali (0-1)

Both players played 5 classical games against each other, in which Kateryna won two, Vaishali won one, and the remaining two games ended in draws. In a high-intensity battle where both players were down to their last minutes, Vaishali found a "cheeky" winning idea. She exploited a pin with her queen, forcing a blunder from Lagno and converting the attack with clinical precision.

Kateryna Lagno vs Rameshbabu Vaishali (0-1) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Zhu Jiner vs Anna Muzychuk (0-1)

Anna Muzychuk, the late replacement for Koneru Humpy, took the lead in the women's section after defeating Zhu Jiner. She played aggressively and eventually broke through Jiner's exposed king.

Zhu Jiner vs Anna Muzychuk (0-1) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Tan Zhongyi vs Aleksandra Goryachkina (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Michal Walusza

Lagno was in a joint lead but suffered a loss in round 6 | Photo: Michal Walusza

Round 6 Results | Graphic: FIDE

Standings after round 6 | Graphic: FIDE

Round 7 Pairing

Replay games of the Women's section

Photo Gallery: ChessBase India, FIDE

Young fans cheering up their favourites | Photo: Michal Walusza

All eyes on him | Photo: Michal Walusza

Go Team India!!! | Photo: Michal Walusza

A session by Reizniece Ozola Dana | Photo: Michal Walusza

Vaishali with her fans after the first win | Photo: Michal Walusza

The queue for having a selfie with the man of the moment

Focused!! | Photo: Yoav Nis

When you see Wei is also taking too much time, just the way you did | Photo: Yoav Nis

Fun Master Mike is here, kidsss | Photo: Michal Walusza

You know you succeeded when Signatures turned into Autographs | Photo: Michal Walusza

It's always fun when Sagar is there | Photo: Michal Walusza

Kids workshop by IM Sagar Shah | Photo: Michal Walusza

Who is going to be a world champion? Me!! Me!! Me!!! | Photo: Michal Walusza

Man with a Vision | Photo: Michal Walusza

Winning or losing doesn't matter when Praggnanandhaa is there | Photo: Michal Walusza

Is he going to win the next game too??? | Photo: Yoav Nis

Videos:

Check out this detailed recap video of the 6th round at FIDE Candidates 2026 | Video: ChesBase India

Check out the starting moments of the 6th round at the FIDE Candidates 2026 as players walk into the playing hall in rainy weather. | Video: ChesBase India

Javokhir Sindarov is on an unbelievable run at Candidates 2026, scoring 5.5/6 after beating Wei Yi with Black, his 4th win in a row! Nodirbek Abdusattorov reacts, saying Sindarov is showing his true strength and can win the Candidates.

Live Stream

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

Pairings: Round 7

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.