GM Javokhir Sindarov‘s dream run continued after GM Hikaru Nakamura thought for 67 minutes on transfer 13, selected badly, and sank with out a hint in spherical 5 of the 2026 FIDE Candidates Match. Sindarov, now world number-five, is on 4.5/5, with solely GM Fabiano Caruana inside a degree after delivering checkmate to finish the unbeaten run of GM Matthias Bluebaum. GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu vs. GM Andrey Esipenko and GM Anish Giri vs. GM Wei Yi have been drawn.
GM Kateryna Lagno bounced again to defeat co-leader GM Bibisara Assaubayeva within the 2026 FIDE Girls’s Candidates, which was sufficient to catch GM Anna Muzychuk, who made a rapid draw with GM Aleksandra Goryachkina. We now have three leaders, after prime seed GM Zhu Jiner scored a second win in a row, taking down GM Vaishali Rameshbabu.
Spherical six is on Saturday, April 4, beginning at 8:45 a.m. ET / 14:45 CEST / 6:15 p.m. IST.
FIDE Candidates: Sindarov Unstoppable, However Caruana Retains Up Strain
Sindarov’s unbelievable type continues, however Caruana stored up the strain by denying Bluebaum a #GreatBluebaumStreak of all attracts.
Candidates Spherical 5 Outcomes
Sindarov is on a near-perfect 4.5/5, now three factors forward of Nakamura, however Caruana continues to be inside touching distance.
Candidates Standings After Spherical 5
Probably the most anticipated match-up of spherical 5 was Nakamura taking part in the white items in opposition to Sindarov in what he’d mentioned is nearly a must-win recreation. It will be each bit as dramatic as we might hope for.
Nakamura 0-1 Sindarov
The opening was a shock to Sindarov, who commented, “I used to be anticipating he’ll select one thing for a protracted recreation, some Italian or Ruy Lopez, or in 1.d4 one thing for a protracted recreation.”
As an alternative Nakamura went for the Marshall Gambit within the Queen’s Gambit Declined and a uncommon line the place he had given up two pawns by transfer 9. All the things was going in accordance with plan till Sindarov went not for 12…e5, however for a transfer he revealed he’d ready for the 2025 FIDE World Cup, 12…0-0. That is when Nakamura got here to a crunching halt.
On this place he thought for an astonishing 67 minutes and 44 seconds, considering simply two strikes. The great transfer was 13.Ne4!, however the one he picked was 13.h4?!, after which there was no good method to justify being two pawns down.
“He simply thought one hour and performed the flawed transfer, and after this I take this benefit and performed very effectively, in my view,” is how Sindarov summed up the sport to FM Mike Klein.
He simply thought one hour and performed the flawed transfer, and after this I take this benefit and performed very effectively, in my view!
—Javokhir Sindarov
Sindarov’s newest triumph is our Sport of the Day, which GM Rafael Leitao has analyzed beneath.
One other dream day on the workplace for Javokhir Sindarov, who scores a crushing win over Hikaru Nakamura to maneuver to 4.5/5! https://t.co/XAdyKCQCRY#FIDECandidates pic.twitter.com/lxo3n9z0tH
— chess24 (@chess24com) April 3, 2026
When Nakamura got here on his stream afterward, he put the blame squarely on his workforce:
This was 100% on the individuals who have been working for me. I had a file, it didn’t have the transfer 12…0-0, and truthfully castles. I assume it’s technically a novelty, however it’s such a human transfer, and as quickly as Javokhir performed it, I used to be like considering to myself, what is that this? Truly form of insane! Possibly you possibly can say that over the board I ought to have a way figured it out, however I believe it’s unimaginable with out realizing what the right line is.
This was 100% on the individuals who have been working for me.
—Hikaru Nakamura
Nakamura clarified he wasn’t referring to his common second Kris Littlejohn, however talked about that considered one of his seconds for the Candidates is ranked round world number-20. The incident recollects recreation eight of the 2004 World Championship match between GMs Vladimir Kramnik and Peter Leko, when Kramnik blitzed out a ready queen sacrifice solely to see Leko brilliantly refute it on the board. GM Peter Svidler, who had labored on the road, later revealed that Kramnik did not speak to him once more throughout the match.
On this case the important thing transfer had even been mentioned in a Chessable course.
$34.99 on sale pic.twitter.com/coDrvYB5T3
— Kamil Plichta (@Kaldas90) April 3, 2026
Nakamura had already calmed down by the point of his recap, the place he included himself among the many gamers who had failed to think about a transfer that had “slipped by the cracks.”
That win left Sindarov three factors away from Nakamura, and with an outstanding +4 rating that may probably be sufficient to win the match.
Unimaginable end result to this point! Don’t underestimate the enhance that confidence performs after a powerful begin. You belief your instincts extra, a optimistic cycle of instinct and efficiency. In the meantime, your opponents doubt themselves in opposition to you. https://t.co/XyRIZd2TUS
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) April 3, 2026
Sindarov could now want “solely” attracts for the remainder of the occasion, so will he have to alter his strategy? He instructed Klein, “No, I’m at all times taking part in stable—with White I’m taking part in for 2 outcomes, with Black I used to be at all times making an attempt to be stable and I don’t need to push, so let’s see!”
The win took Sindarov two factors away from Giri and Praggnanandhaa, who each made attracts in spherical 5. Giri performed the Catalan and was confronted by a brand new transfer 9…c5!? from Wei. Our commentators, GM David Howell and IM Tania Sachdev, weren’t positive that it hadn’t been an unintentional novelty, however it’s the pc’s second alternative and labored out simply tremendous.
The conflict between Praggnanandhaa and Esipenko by no means caught fireplace, with the gamers selecting to make a draw by repetition ready with many items nonetheless on the board however no clear plans for both facet.
The one participant who did sustain the strain on Sindarov was Caruana, who managed to topple the one participant Sindarov had did not roll over—Bluebaum.
Caruana 1-0 Bluebaum
Caruana had his personal hard-luck story about going through Sindarov’s preparation however commented, “No less than I did not play atrociously,” earlier than including, “It is nonetheless my fault that I wasn’t well-prepared.”
The loss to Sindarov meant he approached spherical 5, when he had White in opposition to Bluebaum, as a recreation he needed to try to win, and he ready an concept in opposition to the Petroff, since he guessed the German number-two would repeat the opening that had given him a draw in opposition to the chief: “I didn’t see why he’d change his strategy because it’s a form of unbreakable opening!”
The concept with 9.f4! in the end labored to perfection, with Bluebaum admitting he’d been caught off-guard… and castigating his play: “I didn’t actually know the road for immediately, however I believe each transfer I made was horrible, so it didn’t actually matter what I do.”
I believe each transfer I made was horrible!
—Matthias Bluebaum
Bluebaum nonetheless had the grace to permit one of many few checkmates we have ever seen in a Candidates match, with Caruana dealing the ultimate blow with a pawn.
Fabiano Caruana checkmates Matthias Bluebaum to remain inside a degree of Sindarov! https://t.co/B8wiZOuN7D#FIDECandidates pic.twitter.com/1V1ZP9oTHS
— chess24 (@chess24com) April 3, 2026
It was an amazing bounce-back win!
It seems taking part in padel on the remaining day often is the secret to profitable video games of chess!
Caruana and Sindarov performed padel on the remaining day, however not on the identical courtroom: “None of us are excellent—I can estimate that we’re all learners!” #FIDECandidates pic.twitter.com/ep4VTFJDoQ
— chess24 (@chess24com) April 3, 2026
Caruana is again at precisely 2800.0 and has overtaken Nakamura as world number-two, whereas Sindarov is at a lifetime-best world number-five.
Sindarov has a dominant lead over the sphere in Cyprus, however that would all change quick. He has Black vs. Wei in spherical six, whereas Caruana is White in opposition to Esipenko.
FIDE Candidates: Spherical 6 Pairings
FIDE Girls’s Candidates: Lagno, Zhu Be a part of Anna Muzychuk In Lead
There have been additionally two wins within the Girls’s part, with Lagno and Zhu catching Muzychuk within the lead.
Girls’s Candidates Spherical 5 Outcomes
It is all to play for right here, nonetheless, with solely a single level separating first place from final.
Girls’s Candidates Standings After Spherical 5
The quickest end anyplace in spherical 5 was a draw between Goryachkina and Muzychuk, which maybe should not have stunned us, because the gamers are the one two to stay unbeaten within the Girls’s Candidates.
Muzychuk’s draw meant that co-leader Assaubayeva had an opportunity to take the only lead, however as a substitute she fell to a bounce-back win for Lagno.
Lagno 1-0 Assaubayeva
“I calculated a number of variations however at some second simply blundered and misplaced,” was Assaubayeva’s description of how her sharp Accelerated Dragon backfired. Maybe the important thing second got here after 13.h4!?, when Black might seize on a4 and we might have had a really completely different recreation.
Lagno and Muzychuk have been joined within the lead by prime seed Zhu, who has now hit again with two wins in a row after her loss in spherical three.
Zhu 1-0 Vaishali
Vaishali admitted she’d misevaluated the place after 22…Qb5. As an alternative of getting an edge she was borderline misplaced, and Howell described what adopted as a “positional masterpiece”—what felt at instances near a fortress was methodical progress for the Chinese language star.
“I simply take pleasure in taking part in,” mentioned Zhu of her strategy, and it is served her effectively as she’s climbed the ranking listing within the final couple of years.
The ultimate recreation of the day was a quiet draw between GMs Tan Zhongyi and Divya Deshmukh. They’re each “languishing in final place,” however within the Girls’s FIDE Candidates which means they’re inside a win of first!
In spherical six we now have a conflict of the leaders, Zhu vs. Muzychuk, whereas the remaining chief Lagno has White in opposition to Vaishali.
FIDE Girls’s Candidates: Spherical 6 Pairings
The FIDE Candidates Match is an important FIDE match of the 12 months. Within the Open and Girls’s occasions, eight gamers play one another twice for the precise to problem the FIDE World Champions Gukesh Dommaraju and Ju Wenjun to a match for the title.
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