Sindarov handed rude wake-up call as Russian GM Dubov outplays Candidates winner 3-0 while lying in bed

Javokhir Sindarov was handed a rude reality check in his quest to challenge Gukesh Dommaraju for the Fide World Championship, suffering a 0-3 loss against Russian Grandmaster Daniil Dubov at the ongoing Chess.com Open Playoffs.

What was even more incredible about the defeat at the hands of the 30-year-old in Round 1 of the rapid tournament was the fact that Dubov was lying down nonchalantly while outplayed the Uzbekistani GM, who had won the Fide Candidates in dominant fashion in Cyprus earlier this month.

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Dubov, ranked 23rd in Fide's rapid ratings, won the opening game in 45 moves while playing as black and went 2-0 up with a 28-move win with white pieces. The Russian GM was just as clinical in Game 3, collecting another comfortable victory with black pieces, this time in 29 moves.

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Wake-up call for Sindarov right after Candidates

Sindarov had become an instant favourite for the World Championship after his dominant performance at the Candidates, where he defeated India's R Praggnanandhaa twice in as many meetings and secured his victory with a round to spare.

The 20-year-old, after all, has been in excellent form in recent months, having also become the youngest champion in the history of the Fide World Cup in November. Gukesh, on the other hand, has been doing through a lean patch spanning nearly a year, failing to make an impact at the Tata Steel Chess as well as the Prague Masters and Menorca Masters this year.

The defeat at the hands of Dubov, however, highlights the fact that the path to becoming the world champion will be easier said than done for the Uzbek GM.

Dubov, however, was halted on his tracks by Nihal Sarin in the very next round, suffering a 2-3 defeat at the hands of the Indian GM.

The Chess.com Open playoffs offer a direct route to players hoping to qualify for the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia later this year, where chess will be making its second appearance in as many years. World No 1 Magnus Carlsen, who has already qualified for the Esports World Cup, is part of the tournament that features a double-elimination bracket – where every player can lose two matches before being eliminated.

The top three players in the $250,000 shall qualify directly for the World Cup that will be taking place in the months of July and August.