“It's like a rat who is forced to the corner... It's going to bite, and it's going to bite hard” — Dina Belenkaya on Gukesh vs. Sindarov 2026

Dina Belenkaya

WGM, content creator

“The stakes on betting markets have been set. Javokhir is set to have 70% higher chance of winning the match.

I personally think it’s even higher, up to 80%.”

Mike Klein

FM, content creator

“First of all, kids don’t enter the betting markets. But I don’t think the probability is that high. I know the betting market says 70%, but you’re going to take the over and I’m going to take the under.

It’s a small deal, and not a big deal, that Gukesh is struggling right now. It’s more of a numerical thing. Because, I’m much more fascinated by ratings. Once you get into that gladiator arena and face someone one-on-one, I think it really evens out the match.

Aside from Magnus, we’ve had some really close World Championship matches. There’s a regression to the mean, so to speak.

And Gukesh’s experience playing in that ‘interrogation chamber’, as I think you once called it off-camera, means so much.

But Javokhir insisted that he’s not going to change his way. During the Candidates, he played cards every night, he played Counter-Strike, he was easy-going. And he told me he wants to continue that same easy-going process.

I like that about him. He’s already got that plan in mind. He’s not going to be a different person.”

Dina Belenkaya

WGM, content creator

“I’m still positive for Javokhir. I do believe that whoever he’s facing, he knows that he’s facing the reigning World Champion.

And even though one chess player, one grandmaster can have a rough period of their life, whenever they’re at the highest pressure, highest importance… Let’s say, the corner of the corner of their career, and the only chance they have to survive is to perform, they should be expecting that opponent to perform.

It’s not a good comparison, but it’s like a rat who is forced to the corner — it’s going to bite, and it’s going to bite hard.”