Late replacement Madaminov takes the title

Mukhiddin Madaminov claimed the biggest success of his chess career so far by winning the Masters section of the UzChess Cup in Tashkent after defeating Shamsiddin Vokhidov in blitz tiebreaks. The 19-year-old Uzbek player, who was the lowest-rated participant in the ten-player event, prevailed after the two local representatives had finished level in first place at the end of the classical tournament.

Madaminov only joined the field after Javokhir Sindarov withdrew from the competition. Sindarov's withdrawal was likely connected to his preparation for the World Championship match later this year, as he had presumably agreed to play in Tashkent before winning the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. Madaminov is closely connected to Sindarov, having worked as his second both at the 2025 FIDE World Cup, which Sindarov won, and at the Candidates. The two are also good friends.

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Madaminov entered the tournament as a clear underdog by rating - in fact, he was the only player in the Masters section rated below 2600.

Vokhidov's run to a tiebreak for first place was also unexpected, since he began the event as the eighth seed. The field included several established elite grandmasters, with Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Arjun Erigaisi, Hans Niemann and Ian Nepomniachtchi occupying the top four spots on the starting list.

Shamsiddin Vokhidov | Photo: Official website

Madaminov and Vokhidov entered the final round tied for first place, and both held draws with the black pieces. Abdusattorov v. Vokhidov lasted 33 moves and remained largely balanced, while Niemann v. Madaminov turned into a 78-move hard-fought struggle. Madaminov had the better chances for much of a lengthy late middlegame, playing with an extra pawn, but a critical error gave Niemann a chance to take over. The US grandmaster did not make the most of the opportunity, and the game eventually ended drawn.

The two nearest pursuers, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Nepomniachtchi, had started the final round half a point behind the Uzbek co-leaders and were paired against each other. Mamedyarov, playing white, obtained a slight edge in the middlegame, but Nepomniachtchi defended accurately and kept the position balanced. Their game was drawn after 54 moves, leaving both players half a point short of the tiebreak.

The only decisive game of the ninth round saw Erigaisi defeat Nikolas Theodorou in a lively 46-move encounter. With that result, the Indian GM joined Nepomniachtchi and Mamedyarov in shared third place, as all three finished half a point behind Madaminov and Vokhidov.

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Arjun Erigaisi | Photo: Official website

The tournament was therefore decided in blitz games, played at a time control of 3 minutes plus 2-second increments. Madaminov won the first game with the white pieces, putting Vokhidov in a must-win situation. In the second game, Vokhidov over-pressed while trying to force a result, and Madaminov took advantage to win again and secure tournament victory.

Tiebreaks (Madaminov 2-0 Vokhidov)

Fritz 21

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Round 9 results

Final standings

All games

Links

• Official website
• Javokhir Sindarov: "The quarantine changed my life"