Magnus Carlsen shared his opinion on the performance of Uzbek GM Javokhir Sindarov at the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026. Magnus says his wife asked him about Sindarov, noting that he didn’t achieve a similar result in the Candidates to Javokhir.

Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen

World's No. 1

“Actually, even my wife asked me the other day: ‘What’s going on with Sindarov’s performance? Have you ever done anything like that?’

And I was like: ‘Thanks for asking! But not really…’ Which just goes to show that his performance so far is very, very special!”

The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 takes place from March 28 to April 16, at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus. Uzbek GM Javokhir Sindarov leads the tournament with 6/7 points, which is the highest score since the tournament switched to a double Round-Robin format in 2013.

Credit: Dariusz Gorzinski