A second round of four draws leaves Sindarov inches away from historic triumph
Round twelve of the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus left the standings unchanged, with Javokhir Sindarov maintaining his two-point lead after a quick draw with Hikaru Nakamura.
The game, which was the shortest of the event, followed a rapid simplification, with queens off the board by move 15. A repetition was reached on move 33 after only around 35 minutes of play. The result reflected a Sindarov's strategy, who had prepared forcing drawing lines in advance and chose to neutralise risk in order to consolidate his lead, a practical approach often seen in previous Candidates events.
Magnus Carlsen's long-time coach Peter Heine Nielsen, who has often favoured a shift to chess960 in elite competitions (now marketed as Freestyle Chess), shared on X:
[Four minutes] played, already an opposite colored bishop ending. This is not what sport should be.
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Become a master of chess strategy – get Robert Ris’s complete bundle now at a special price!This result meant that Sindarov is now guaranteed at least a playoff place and needs only a half point in the final two rounds to secure outright victory. The 20-year-old remains unbeaten on a plus-six score and, barring a significant reversal, is likely to become Gukesh Dommaraju's challenger for the world title.
It was a quick day at the office for tournament leader Javokhir Sindarov and top seed Hikaru Nakamura | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
The man of the hour! | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
The one player still with mathematical chances of catching Sindarov is Anish Giri. In his game against Wei Yi, Giri obtained a favourable position early and later reached an endgame with clear winning chances. The game developed into a complex struggle, with Wei taking considerable risks, including an exchange sacrifice at a critical moment to maintain activity.
Wei reached the time control with merely one second on his clock, as the position remained double-edged. Wei continued to alternate between strong defensive resources and inaccuracies that allowed Giri further chances.
Despite this, Giri was unable to find a clear path to victory. A potential breakthrough involving a well-timed pawn advance was missed, and the game eventually ended when Wei called the arbiter to point out that a triple repetition was about to appear on the board.
With this draw, Giri remains two points behind Sindarov with only two rounds to play. The Dutchman is set to face the long-time leader with the white pieces in Tuesday's penultimate round. Even if Giri wins, Sindarov will only need a draw against Matthias Bluebaum on Wednesday to secure outright victory.
Wei Yi dealing with a tough position | Photo: FIDE / Niki Riga
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Still looking for the win - Anish Giri | Photo: FIDE / Niki Riga
The remaining two games also ended in draws. Matthias Bluebaum continued his remarkable run of solid results by holding Fabiano Caruana to a draw with the black pieces. The game followed the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, leading to a sequence of simplifications and a queen endgame with broken pawn structures on both sides.
The evaluation remained stable throughout, and neither player managed to create meaningful winning chances. Bluebaum thus recorded his eleventh draw in twelve rounds, maintaining his consistent performance against top opposition.
In Andrey Esipenko v. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, the players battled from a sharp opening, but the game ultimately ended in a draw as well. The result kept Pragg half a point ahead of Esipenko in the standings, with both players remaining in the two last places of the standings.
Matthias Bluebaum | Photo: FIDE / Niki Riga
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Andrey Esipenko versus Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
Standings after round 12
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In this video course, experts including Dorian Rogozenco, Mihail Marin, Karsten Müller and Oliver Reeh, examine the games of Boris Spassky. Let them show you which openings Spassky chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were and much more.
