PM Narendra Modi hails Gukesh-Sindarov World Championship clash as India-Uzbekistan bond strengthens
(Courtesy : @narendramodi)
Gukesh will meet the Uzbek star in the World Championship in November
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a message for reigning world chess champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Javokhir Sindarov ahead of their World Chess Championship showdown. The PM said that “the whole world is watching”.
Speaking about the deepening ties between India and Uzbekistan, the PM pointed to chess as one of the things now bringing the two nations closer together.
“Chess and sports are also becoming an important part of our co-operation,” he said. “Last year, in Goa, 20-year-old Uzbek Grandmaster Sindarov won the World Cup. Now, in November, he will compete with India’s 20-year-old chess champion Gukesh. When these two young stars face each other, it is obvious that the whole world will be watching this competition.”
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The PM also had a word on the Chess Olympiad, where both players will turn up before their title match even begins. “Next month, he is going to compete in Samarkand, in the Chess Olympiad. I wish him all the best,” Modi said.
Two 20-year-olds, one crown
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It’s easy to see why the match has captured so much attention.
Gukesh became World Champion at just 18, stunning the chess world by beating China’s Ding Liren in Singapore back in 2024. Now, two years on, he’s defending that title for the first time, and against someone even younger.
Sindarov earned his shot the hard way, being unbeaten through the 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, finishing on 10/14, and hasn’t slowed down since.
Before any of that, though, the two will likely run into each other much sooner than Geneva.
Both are expected to play at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand next month. Gukesh will represent defending champions India, while Sindarov plays for hosts Uzbekistan. If the two teams are paired against each other, fans could get a sneak preview of the rivalry weeks before the real thing.
The World Championship itself gets underway in Geneva, Switzerland, running from November 22 to December 13, with Game 1 on November 24. Under FIDE’s newly approved rules, the match can go up to 14 classical games, and whoever reaches 7.5 points first walks away as champion.
When is the Gukesh vs Sindarov World Chess Championship?
The match runs in Geneva, Switzerland, from November 22 to December 13, 2026. Game 1 is set for November 24, and the players are due to arrive in the city a few days earlier.
Will Gukesh and Sindarov play each other before the World Championship?
Quite possibly. Both are expected to compete at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand next month, Gukesh for India and Sindarov for the hosts, Uzbekistan. If the two teams are drawn against each other, fans could see them face off weeks before their title match in Geneva.
When did Gukesh earn the Grandmaster title?
Gukesh earned the Grandmaster title in 2019, at the age of 12.