Javokhir Sindarov wary of D Gukesh ahead of dream world chess title showdown: 'No weaknesses'

Fresh off his triumph at the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, Uzbek Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov is already looking ahead to the biggest challenge of his career - the World Chess Championship clash against India’s Dommaraju Gukesh.

Sindarov, who earned the right to challenge the reigning champion after winning the FIDE Candidates in Cyprus earlier this month, shared his thoughts on Gukesh’s form in an interview with ChessBase India.

Gukesh, who is set to defend his world title later this year, recently decided to take a break from long-format games to fully focus on the championship match. The move came after a string of poor results in the recent past.

Sindarov on Gukesh's form

Despite Gukesh going through a rough phase in his career right now, Sindarov made it clear that he does not see any major flaws in the Indian prodigy’s game and that it is going to be an interesting contest between the two youngsters later this year.

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Sindarov said that if Gukesh is in form, he can be one of the toughest to beat in the world, adding that the Indian GM doesn't really have too many weak points. Although the 2026 Candidates winner pointed out that he enjoys a better head-to-head record against Gukesh in the handful of games they have played.

Sindarov also refused to label anyone as the favourite, choosing instead to celebrate what's coming, saying that it was always a dream for him to play this important match.

"It will be a very interesting match. Two players from the young generation fighting for the world title, it’s something special. I haven’t played Gukesh much. I have a good score, but those wins were when he was very young. Now he is extremely strong. If he is in form, he is one of the best players in the world. He doesn’t really have weaknesses. I don’t know who the favourite is, but I know it will be a fantastic match. I will just try to enjoy it, it’s a dream for me to play this match," Sindarov was quoted by ChessBase India.

Meanwhile, Sindarov also revealed that he hasn’t started preparing for the match yet despite the magnitude and importance of it. The young Grandmaster wants to take some time off to celebrate his Candidates victory before diving into serious business.

"Actually, no. I want to first celebrate properly with my friends. I am waiting to go home. Probably after that, I will start thinking about the match," he said.

Both Sindarov and Gukesh will be 20 years old at the World Championship match, which is going to be played between the youngest players ever. While Gukesh struggles with poor form, Sindarov aims to achieve the biggest title of his career.