Kasparov compares Gukesh's challenger Sindarov to a former world champion: 'Same vigour, energy, precision'

Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov has praised the rapid rise of Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov, who produced a sensational run in the FIDE Candidates 2026 to earn a historic place in the World Championship match. His qualification sets up a blockbuster clash against reigning world champion D Gukesh.

Speaking on the sidelines of Super Chess Classic Romania 2026, Kasparov highlighted Sindarov’s balance between speed and accuracy, especially in high-pressure games.

Kasparov compares Sindarov to Spassky

The former world champion also suggested that Sindarov’s form could dip after such a big win at the Candidates, but believes his future is bright.

"Absolutely. And I said it a few times on these shows, I think it was just a great combination of playing well but also playing fast. And this is amazing, you can play fast but still be mediocre, but here it’s so many good decisions. It’s again a balance of keeping time reserve but also making high-quality moves, and it’s a well-deserved victory," Kasparov said.

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"So I don’t know what’s happened, probably it’s natural after such a big performance. I think Warsaw was expected to drop, so we’ll see how he will do here. But I think if he keeps coming with the same vigour, energy, and precision as in the Candidates, that’s a big future," he added.

When asked to compare Sindarov with past world champions, Kasparov said the youngster reminds him of former world champion Boris Spassky due to his universal and intuitive playing style. He also pointed out that both Sindarov and Spassky have similarities in their styles.

"It’s hard to say. If I have to make a parallel, I would probably say Spassky. This is very universal, very… again, that’s the way Spassky played in the mid-60s, fast but intuitive, just finding the right spots for pieces. But it’s not only that, it also has dynamism, because Karpov was more on the positional side. I think his style is more universal. And like Spassky, he had excellent opening preparation. I mean, Spassky didn’t care about it as much, but still. So yes, because the 2025-2026 chess season is not like 1965-1966. But if you want me to place him on a timeline with world champions, Spassky is the first one that comes to mind," he said.

The upcoming title match between Sindarov and Gukesh has already generated huge excitement, especially after their recent encounter at the Grand Chess Tour: Super Rapid and Blitz Poland 2026 event. Gukesh won their one-off rapid match at the competition, while Sindarov emerged victorious in two blitz games.

Gukesh, meanwhile, will enter the World Championship match under scrutiny after a dip in form following his historic rise to the title in 2024. His recent results have raised questions about consistency at the highest level, forcing him to announce a break from long-form chess to focus more on training.