Sindarov refuses 'favourite' tag against Gukesh ahead of World Championship showdown: 'If he plays his best chess…’

Despite their contrasting forms at present, Candidates winner Javokhir Sindarov expects a fierce battle against current title holder D Gukesh at the FIDE World Championship later this year, adding that there are no favourites for their upcoming showdown and there's a ''50-50' chance for both players.

Sindarov had enjoyed a dominant run that began with his victory at the FIDE World Cup in Goa in November last year, and concluded with his clinical triumph at the Candidates in Cyprus in April. The Uzbekistani Grandmaster won the latter with a round to spare despite the presence of Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, who are the highest ranked players in the world after Magnus Carlsen.

Gukesh, on the other hand, has experienced a slump over the past one year, failing to make an impact at major tournaments such as the World Cup and the FIDE Grand Swiss last year as well as at the Tata Steel Chess and Norway Chess this year.

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At the Norway Chess, which moved to Oslo this year from Stavanger, the 20-year-old finished at the bottom of the six-player 'Open' standings after collecting just one Classical win – against fellow Indian GM and eventual champion R Praggnanandhaa.

Sindarov describes Gukesh as a 'super-strong player'

Sindarov, however, isn't of the opinion that their contrasting recent form automatically makes him a favourite heading into their World Championship face-off, the details of which are yet to be announced by FIDE.

"When I played him at Tata Steel, I believed he was a super-strong player. If he plays his best chess, then we both have the same chances. Of course, I also need to be at my best," Sindarov told Chess.com.

"Maybe his recent tournaments haven't gone well, but he still has a lot of time to prepare for the World Championship match.

"In my opinion, we have the same chances. He has more experience because he already played a World Championship match. But it's hard to call anyone the favorite. I think it's 50-50," he continued.

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Sindarov also hoped their World Championship face-off would take place in a neutral country rather than in India or in Uzbekistan, both of which are among the leading chess nations in the world.

"Of course," said Sindarov, when asked if he would be comfortable playing in India. "But if I have a choice, I would prefer a neutral place."

"I think they will think about it. But in my opinion, it's better to play in a neutral country. Otherwise there would be huge support from one country and also a lot of pressure," he added.