Hikaru Nakamura shared his opinion on the FIDE World Championship 2026. Nakamura names a victory for Javokhir Sindarov as the most likely outcome. Hikaru thinks Gukesh Dommaraju will not play better than he has in the past year and a half.

Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura

World's No. 2

“[Question from the chat: Who will win the World Championship this year?]

I think that if I look at it objectively, I struggle to see Sindarov not winning. I want a close match, but I think that the most likely result we’re going to get is we’re going to get a match where Sindarov wins very cleanly.

Like Magnus did against Anand in 2013. I think it was the first match that Magnus played, where he won game two, then he won game six, then he won game 10, and it was just a very, very clean victory. I think that’s the most likely outcome of the four possible outcomes.

I think if it’s a close match, Gukesh will actually win, but I don’t think it’s going to be a close match. There’s nothing in Gukesh’s games in the last year and a half that makes me believe that he’s going to suddenly play at a much higher level. There’s just nothing to suggest that’s going to happen.”

Gukesh Dommaraju finished 8th/10th at the Sinquefield Cup 2025, 41st at the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, and was eliminated in the 3rd round of the FIDE World Cup 2025. In February he finished 9th at the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026. In March he finished last at the Prague International Chess Festival. In the end of the May Gukesh finished last at the Norway Chess 2026, and in July he finished last at the Chennai Grand Masters 2026.

The FIDE World Championship 2026 is the crowning match to determine the World Champion. Match features defending Champion Gukesh and Uzbek GM Javokhir Sindarov, the winner of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026. The match will take place in Geneva, Switzerland from November 25 to December 15. Gukesh is currently World’s No. 27 in the live rating.

Credit: Yoav Nisenbaum / FIDE