Gukesh vs Sindarov showdown doesn't have an outright favourite, says world No 6 Keymer: 'Things change very quickly'

Javokhir Sindarov was in red-hot form for months recently, winning the FIDE World Cup in India last November as well as the Candidates in Cyprus in April this year during this phase. The Uzbekistani Grandmaster was particularly dominant in the latter, winning the gruelling tournament with a round to spare.

Reigning world champion D Gukesh, on the other hand, hasn't a great run of late, with his form witnessing a sharp decline since last year. The Indian GM has produced underwhelming performances at major tournaments such as the Grand Swiss and the World Cup as well as Tata Steel Chess and Norway Chess – the event where he finished at the bottom of the six-player standings earlier this month.

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Gukesh is set to defend his world title against Sindarov later this year and the latter is understandably being labeled the favourite based on current form. German GM Vincent Keymer, however, isn't one to pick an outright favourite right away, stating that "things change very quickly in chess", citing the example of another Uzbekistani Grandmaster to support his argument.

"I'd say it's 50–50. Of course, Sindarov is in fantastic form right now, but things change very quickly in chess. For example, in July and August last year, Nodirbek Abdusattorov was above 2770, while I was around 2730. Then after the World Cup, I reached 2776, while he dropped to 2735. Now he's back around the 2800 level," Keymer was quoted by Endgame AI as saying.

"Everything comes in phases because all these players are extremely strong. Nobody is significantly better or worse than the others," he continued.

'Gukesh and Sindarov are still very young'

The upcoming showdown between Gukesh and Sindarov, the date and the venue for which is yet to be finalised, is set to be the youngest World Championship match of all time in terms of average age of the competitors. While Gukesh had turned 20 on 29 May, Sindarov will turn 21 on 8 December, at which point the World Championship should be underway.

Also Read | Gukesh's packed schedule not behind poor form, believes Keymer as he introduces new angle in debate

Keymer, who is of the same generation as Gukesh and Sindarov at 21 years of age, added that the two competitors still are in the early phase of their careers, and that "things can turn very quickly in either direction".

"Matches are a different story altogether. Preparation, nerves, and psychology all matter. Gukesh and Sindarov are still very young, and people shouldn't forget that. This is only the beginning of their careers. Things can turn very quickly in either direction.

"People are far too quick to overrate someone during a good phase and just as quick to underrate them after a bad one," Keymer added.