Round one of the 2026 FIDE Chess World Championship, taking place in Geneva, Switzerland on November 24, is less than a month away. World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju will defend his title for the first time against Challenger GM Javokhir Sindarov. But how did the Uzbek dark horse qualify for the year's most important over-the-board match?

Chess.com created a 19-minute video, narrated by the Internet's Chess Teacher IM Levy Rozman (GothamChess), highlighting Sindarov's road through the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament—an elite event he not only won but dominated, despite starting off in the middle of the pack by rating. 

The Candidates was an eight-player double round-robin with a classical time control. Sindarov ultimately scored a historic 10/14, and his incredible 5.5/6 start played a huge role in his ultimate success.

Highlights of the video include:

• Pre-tournament expectations of top players, including Sindarov
• Game-by-game analysis of each victory, including wins over GMs Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura back-to-back
• Big-picture narrative of Sindarov's style based on these games
• The records Sindarov has shattered
• What victory means for Sindarov, Uzbekistan, and chess history

Sindarov was number 24 in the world at this time last year, but now he is number four—only behind GM Magnus Carlsen, Nakamura, and Caruana. His opponent, on the other hand, has dropped from a peak rank of number three to number 26 in the world. Will Sindarov continue to show the monstrous form we'd witnessed at the Candidates Tournament (and since), and will Gukesh find his form before it is time to play what will be one of the most important matches of his life?

Although it won't be at a classical event, the last time we'll see Sindarov play before the big match is on October 27-29 in St. Louis. Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown 2026 features Sindarov, Caruana, Nakamura, and GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in a rapid tournament where first place earns $125,000.