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Javokhir Sindarov beat world champion D Gukesh in blitz at the Grand Chess Tour in Warsaw, avenging an earlier rapid loss as Hans Niemann led the overall standings
D Gukesh celebrates his win over Javokhir Sindarov (Picture credit: Screengrab from X)
Javokhir Sindarov struck back against reigning world champion D Gukesh at the Grand Chess Tour Super Rapid and Blitz Poland in Warsaw, defeating the Indian prodigy in their first-ever blitz encounter on Friday and intensifying one of chess’ most exciting emerging rivalries.
The victory came just days after Gukesh had beaten Sindarov in the rapid section of the tournament, a game that drew widespread attention because of the Indian’s rare emotional reaction. Known for his composed demeanour at the board, Gukesh surprised fans with a seated fist pump after defeating the Uzbek teenager earlier in the week. The celebration quickly became a major talking point, especially with Sindarov set to challenge him for the World Championship later this year.
Javokhir Sindarov Vs D Gukesh
On Friday, however, the momentum swung in Sindarov’s favour. The Uzbek grandmaster produced a commanding performance in the blitz round and avenged his earlier defeat with a calm, clinical win. In contrast to D Gukesh’s animated celebration, Sindarov simply exchanged a firm handshake after the game, showing little emotion.
The result capped a difficult opening day of blitz chess for Gukesh. The Indian managed only four points from nine rounds, recording three wins, two draws and four defeats. His campaign started poorly with back-to-back losses against Radoslaw Wojtaszek and Alireza Firouzja before he steadied himself with a draw against Vladimir Fedoseev and a victory over Wesley So.
Another setback followed against Fabiano Caruana, leaving Gukesh near the bottom of the standings midway through the day. He later bounced back impressively against tournament leader Hans Niemann, capitalising on a late blunder to secure a crucial point with the black pieces.
That high proved short-lived, as Sindarov handed him another defeat soon after. Gukesh did, however, end the day on a positive note by defeating his former second Jan-Krzysztof Duda in the final round.
After the first day of blitz action, Gukesh stood fifth overall in the combined standings with 13 points, while Niemann continued to lead the tournament. Sindarov, meanwhile, moved closer to the leading pack as his rivalry with the Indian world champion continued to gather momentum in Warsaw.
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