UzChess Cup: Abdusattorov beats Maghsoodloo in style, regains sole lead

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
6/26/2025 – Nodirbek Abdusattorov regained the sole lead at the UzChess Cup by defeating Parham Maghsoodloo in round seven, marking his fourth win with the white pieces. The only other decisive game saw Javokhir Sindarov beating Aravindh Chithambaram to join Arjun Erigaisi in shared second place. With two rounds remaining, Abdusattorov leads on 5/7, while Arjun - the only unbeaten player - and Sindarov trail by half a point. | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

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Sindarov scores, now tied for second place

Nodirbek Abdusattorov regained the sole lead at the UzChess Cup after defeating Parham Maghsoodloo in a key round-seven encounter. Entering the day, Abdusattorov, Maghsoodloo and Arjun Erigaisi were tied for first place on 4/6 points, making the clash between the two former co-leaders particularly significant in the race for tournament victory.

Playing white, Abdusattorov made the most of the opportunity, scoring a clean win in 39 moves to reach 5/7. Impressively, Abdusattorov has a perfect 4/4 score with the white pieces so far in Tashkent.

Maghsoodloo responded to 1.e4 with the Taimanov Variation of the Sicilian Defence but opted for a lesser-tested path early on, deviating from mainline theory. The decision backfired, as Abdusattorov built up pressure with precise play and gradually seized control. The Uzbek star's positional understanding and accurate handling of the resulting structures left Maghsoodloo with no counterplay. The game ended without drama, but with clarity - a controlled, well-conducted victory from the sole leader with just two rounds remaining.

The other decisive game of the round saw Javokhir Sindarov scoring his third win of the event, as he defeated Aravindh Chithambaram with the white pieces. Sindarov outplayed his opponent in the late middlegame of a complex struggle involving queens, rooks and bishops - all knights had been exchanged earlier. On move 31, Aravindh blundered in a position that engines considered better for Black, allowing Sindarov to take the initiative.

The 19-year-old Uzbek grandmaster, currently ranked 25th in the live ratings, converted his advantage with impressive technique, as the game concluded with a visually appealing final move: 42.Bf7

If Black proceeds with 42...g1Q, then White responds with 43.Rh8+ Kg7 44.Rg8+, collecting the newly promoted queen. Aravindh resigned, and Sindarov climbed to 4½ points, joining Arjun Erigaisi in shared second place. Arjun, who drew his game on Wednesday, remains the only undefeated player in the tournament.

Round 7 results

Javokhir Sindarov, Aravindh Chithambaram

Javokhir Sindarov defeated an out-of-form Aravindh Chithambaram and joined Arjun Erigaisi in second place, a mere half point behind the leader | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Abdusattorov 1-0 Maghsoodloo

Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Parham Maghsoodloo

Nodirbek Abdusattorov bounced back from a tough loss by defeating a direct contender for the title, Parham Maghsoodloo | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Standings after round 7

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Challengers: Madaminov climbs to sole second place

Three games ended decisively in the Challengers. Sole leader Nikolas Theodorou held Nijat Abasov to a draw with the black pieces, keeping his spot atop the standings. Andrew Hong, who was sharing the lead a couple of rounds ago, suffered his second consecutive loss and now trails Theodorou by 1½ points. Mukhiddin Madaminov was the player who defeated Hong, and importantly, he climbed to sole second place thanks to this full point.

The remaining decisive encounter of the day saw Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov defeating Jakonghir Vakhidov with the black pieces.

Round 7 results

Standings after round 7

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Futures: Chatalbashev beats Nigmatov

Ortik Nigmatov remains as the sole leader in the Futures tournament, despite suffering his second loss of the event on Wednesday - he was defeated by Danish representative Boris Chatalbashev.

Nigmatov has a half-point lead over Chatalbashev, Saparmyrat Atabayev and Evgeny Alekseev with two rounds to go.

Round 7 results

Standings after round 7

All games

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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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