Jahongir Sindarov Recognized as Best Chess Player by FIDE

Uzbek grandmaster Jahongir Sindarov has become the winner of the first FIDE Excellence Awards prize in the Best Chess Player — Male category. The men's team of Uzbekistan has also prematurely won the chess Olympiad in Samarkand.

The award was established by the International Chess Federation in 2026 and is awarded based on the results of the two-year Olympic cycle of 2024-2026. When choosing the winner in the men's category, performances in classical, rapid and blitz chess, rating dynamics and the impact of sports achievements on the global chess community were taken into account.

Over the past two-year period, Sindarov won the World Cup, entered the top four strongest grandmasters in the world and set a record achievement at the Candidates Tournament.

In addition, the men's team of Uzbekistan secured gold at the chess Olympiad in Samarkand, winning the tournament for the second time. In the 11th round, the Indian team ended the meeting in a draw, which made the Uzbek team unreachable for the pursuers.