Sergey Karjakin Names the Favorite for the Sindarov–Gukesh Match
Sergey Karjakin Names His Favorite for the Sindarov–Gukesh World Championship Match
The upcoming World Chess Championship match is already shaping up to be one of the major events on the 2026 chess calendar. Reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju will face Javokhir Sindarov, the Uzbekistani challenger who has made a remarkable surge toward the top of the chess world over the past year.
Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin has shared his assessment of the upcoming showdown. In his view, Sindarov should currently be considered the favorite to win the match.
Karjakin Backs Sindarov
Karjakin pointed to the Uzbekistani player's impressive rise in form. Among the main arguments, he highlighted Sindarov's recent major achievements — winning the World Cup and finishing first in the Candidates Tournament.
“Sindarov is the favorite,” Karjakin said when discussing the upcoming match.
At the same time, the grandmaster emphasized an important feature of World Championship matches: previous results do not guarantee anything once the match begins. When the title fight gets underway, the tournament history is left behind, while preparation, psychological resilience, and the ability to withstand pressure become decisive factors.
Sindarov's Road to the World Championship Match
Javokhir Sindarov's recent results certainly point to a major breakthrough in his career.
In 2025, Sindarov won the World Cup without losing a single classical game, defeating Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi in the final. That victory secured his place in the Candidates Tournament.
Then, in 2026, the Uzbekistani player went on to win the Candidates Tournament itself. Sindarov secured first place with rounds to spare and became the first representative of Uzbekistan to win the event in its modern format.
His route to the World Championship match has therefore been almost perfect: first the World Cup, then the Candidates Tournament, and now a showdown with the reigning world champion.
Why Karjakin Calls It a “Unique Opportunity”
For Sindarov, this match represents much more than an ordinary sporting contest.
If he wins, he will become the first representative of Uzbekistan to capture the classical World Chess Championship title. Karjakin considers this historical dimension an additional source of motivation.
At the same time, Sindarov faces a major challenge: turning his excellent tournament form into success over a long World Championship match. One strong tournament is not enough here. A title match requires a different level of preparation, as both players have the opportunity to study each other in depth and prepare specific variations for individual games.
What About Gukesh?
The reigning champion enters his title defense after a difficult period.
Gukesh won the world title in 2024 by defeating Ding Liren in the World Championship match. However, his results in 2026 have been considerably less consistent. At Norway Chess, the Indian grandmaster finished last, while by September his rating had fallen to 2703 — significantly below his peak rating of 2794, which he reached in October 2024.
The champion's current form has therefore become one of the arguments in favor of Sindarov. Karjakin noted that Gukesh is not currently in his best form, making it important for the challenger to take advantage of the opportunity.
At the same time, Gukesh's position cannot be assessed solely through his rating or recent tournament results. In a World Championship match, the defending champion has the opportunity to completely restructure his preparation and approach a specific opponent with an entirely different strategy.
Sindarov Is Not the Only One Who Sees the Match This Way
Interestingly, Magnus Carlsen recently expressed a similar assessment. The Norwegian former world champion described Sindarov as a clear favorite for the upcoming confrontation, while also highlighting Gukesh's enormous potential.
This creates an intriguing situation ahead of the match: Gukesh remains the holder of the world title, yet several leading chess figures have drawn attention to the challenger's current form.
The Main Question: Can Sindarov Continue His Surge?
On paper, Sindarov's story is remarkable: victory at the World Cup, followed by a Candidates Tournament triumph and qualification for the World Championship match. But now he faces the most difficult part of the journey.
Gukesh already knows what it means to play for the world title under enormous pressure. In 2024, he came through his match against Ding Liren and became world champion. Now he must defend his title against an opponent arriving with an exceptionally strong run of results.
That is why Karjakin's comments are interesting not so much as a definitive prediction, but as an assessment of the current balance of forces.
A Match That Could Make History
The upcoming Sindarov–Gukesh showdown will also be significant in terms of the players' age and the changing geography of elite chess. Two representatives of a new generation will meet in the World Championship match, with the winner set to shape the next chapter of the battle for the chess crown.
According to current information, the match is scheduled to take place in Switzerland in late November–December 2026, with FIDE selecting a venue in Collonge-Bellerive, near Geneva.
For Sindarov, it is an opportunity to complete an extraordinary rise by claiming the most prestigious title in chess. For Gukesh, it is a chance to demonstrate that his difficult period is behind him and reaffirm his status as the reigning world champion.
Karjakin has already made his assessment of the players' current form: Sindarov enters the match as the favorite. But, as always in chess, the final answer will be provided not by ratings, statistics, or grandmaster predictions, but by the games played over the World Championship board.