Sindarov Wins the World Cup, Breaking Aronian’s Record

19-year-old Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov (rating 2721, world No. 21) has won the 2025 FIDE World Cup, setting a historic record as the youngest champion in the tournament’s history.

The final of the prestigious event was held in the Indian state of Goa, where Sindarov faced top Chinese player Yi Wei (2752, world No. 11). The two classical games ended in draws, but in the rapid tiebreaks the Uzbek prodigy showed remarkable resilience. The first rapid game again brought no winner, but in the second game, playing with Black, Sindarov secured a decisive victory, finishing the match with a score of 2.5–1.5.

By doing so, he surpassed the achievement of Levon Aronian, who won the World Cup in 2005 at the age of 23. Sindarov is now the youngest winner of the trophy in the event’s history.

Russian player Andrey Esipenko (2681, world No. 41) finished in third place. He, Sindarov, and Yi Wei have all qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, whose winner will challenge the reigning world champion D. Gukesh for the chess crown.