Grandmaster Javohir Sindarov defeated his compatriot Nodirbek Yakubboyev in the tie-break stage of the semifinals of the World Championship held in Goa, India, and for the first time in the history of Uzbek chess, secured the right to participate in the Candidates Tournament.
The first two classical games between the Uzbekistanis ended in a draw. However, the 19-year-old Sindarov won in the rapid game and drew the second game (1.5:0.5), securing a spot in the final and an automatic ticket to the main qualifying tournament which determines the opponent for the reigning world champion.
In the final, Sindarov will face China's Wei Yi.
Nodirbek Yakubboyev, meanwhile, will clash with Andrey Esipenko, who is competing under a neutral flag, for third place. The winner of this match will also secure a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Crown.
If Yakubboyev wins the match for third place, Uzbekistan could secure two participants in the Candidates Tournament, a very rare occurrence.
The final matches will take place on November 24-26. All games will start at 14:30 Tashkent time.
Sindarov and Yakubboyev had previously emphasized that winning a ticket to the Candidates Tournament is the most significant achievement for Uzbek chess players since Rustam Kasimdzhanov became the world champion in 2004.
