Sindarov wins TePe Sigeman & Co in Malmö, Erdogmus and Grandelius share second place

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
5/27/2025 – The TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament in Malmö concluded with Javokhir Sindarov taking clear first place on 4½/7 points. The 19-year-old from Uzbekistan finished ahead of 13-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagiz Erdogmus and Sweden's Nils Grandelius, who shared second place with 4 points. The event featured a mix of experienced players and rising talents, including strong showings by the youngest participants. | Photo: Mikael Svensson
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Youngsters shine in Malmö

The 2025 edition of the TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament concluded after seven consecutive days of entertaining games in Malmö, with 19-year-old Javokhir Sindarov emerging as the clear winner. The Uzbek grandmaster scored 4½ points out of 7, with two wins and five draws to his name, securing first place without losing a single game. He scored victories over Tan Zhongyi, in round one, and Erwin l'Ami, in round four.

Sindarov finished half a point ahead of two players tied for second: 13-year-old Yagiz Erdogmus from Türkiye and Sweden's Nils Grandelius, aged 31. Both scored 4/7 with two wins and a single loss. Grandelius joined Erdogmus in second place thanks to a final-round win over Tan, who had recovered mid-tournament after a difficult start.

Top seed Richard Rapport and US representative Ray Robson finished on 3½ points. Robson was the only other unbeaten player alongside Sindarov, drawing all seven of his games. Rapport, by contrast, had a mixed event, with two wins and two losses throughout the event.

Sindarov and Erdogmus were the standout performers in Malmö. Sindarov, currently rated 2710, is the world's third-highest-rated junior behind world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Superbet Chess Classic winner Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu.

Erdogmus, at just 13 years old, is the youngest player ranked among the world's top-20 in the juniors ranking. Only a handful of players - such as Ivan Zemlyanskii (14) and Abhimanyu Mishra (16) - combine comparable age and rating. Erdogmus is now within 9 rating points of entering the overall world top 100.

Javokhir Sindarov

Javokhir Sindarov taking a stroll during the final round | Photo: Mikael Svensson

Ukrainian legend Vasyl Ivanchuk, as ever, drew attention throughout the tournament. Despite recent strong performances in Iceland and Spain, he struggled to replicate that form in Malmö. His only win came in round five against Erdogmus, but he suffered three losses, including two on time - most notably, he had a favourable position when he ran out of time in his round-four game against Tan.

The tournament once again provided a platform for a wide range of playing styles and generations, with a mix of established names, rising stars and one of the game's most enduring and admired veterans.

Vasyl Ivanchuk

Vasyl Ivanchuk | Photo: Mikael Svensson

Ivanchuk 1-0 Erdogmus

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

Yagiz Erdogmus, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who has been working with Yagiz Erdogmus, travelled to Malmö with his pupil | Photo: Mikael Svensson

Vasyl Ivanchuk, Richard Rapport

Vasyl Ivanchuk and Richard Rapport | Photo: Mikael Svensson

Nils Grandelius

The ever-smiling Nils Grandelius finished in shared second place | Photo: Mikael Svensson

Ray Robson, Tan Zhongyi

Ray Robson and Tan Zhongyi enjoying the closing ceremony | Photo: Mikael Svensson

Final standings

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Topics: Javokhir Sindarov, Nils Grandelius, TePe Sigeman & Co 2025, Yagiz Erdogmus
Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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TePe Sigeman & Co: Sindarov and Erdogmus share the lead, Tan scores two wins in a row

5/23/2025 – After four rounds at the TePe Sigeman & Co chess tournament, Javokhir Sindarov and Yagiz Erdogmus (pictured) share the lead with 3 points each. Nils Grandelius is half a point behind on 2½, followed by Ray Robson and Tan Zhongyi on 2 points. Tan, who lost her first two games, has bounced back with consecutive wins in rounds three and four. Eight of the sixteen games played so far have ended decisively in what has been an entertaining tournament for spectators. | Photo: Mikael Svensson

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TePe Sigeman & Co: Rapport, Sindarov and Erdogmus early co-leaders

5/22/2025 – The first two rounds of the 2025 TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament have produced a mix of decisive results and hard-fought draws in Malmö. Richard Rapport, Javokhir Sindarov (pictured) and Yagiz Erdogmus lead the standings with 1½ points each. Tan Zhongyi, meanwhile, has suffered two losses and both with the white pieces. Round three will feature a clash between co-leaders Sindarov and Erdogmus, the youngest players in the field. | Photo: Mikael Svensson
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