Nodirbek Abdusattorov spoke about the difficulties he faced in 2025. Abdusattorov says he wanted to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, and explains how he dealt with the pressure.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov

Nodirbek Abdusattorov

World’s No. 6

“Last year was tough for me. I really wanted to qualify for the Candidates, and I felt pressured by that. I was always thinking about it…

After failing in the World Cup, I lost all my chances to qualify. After that, I stopped caring about results. I just started to enjoy the process and enjoy the game. My results drastically improved.

Even when I’m in trouble, when I have worse positions during the game, I become more stable and more resilient. I became psychologically more stable and more experienced.”

Nodirbek Abdusattorov is the World’s No. 6 and Uzbekistan’s No. 2. Abdusattorov was eliminated from the FIDE World Cup 2025 in the round of 32, losing to Jose Martinez Alcantara. In 2026 Nodirbek won Tata Steel Masters and Prague Masters, and holds second place in the FIDE Circuit 2026-27. Abdusattorov has not qualified for the FIDE Candidates Tournament in his career.

Credit: Lennart Ootes