What Sindarov's Historic FIDE Candidates Win Teaches Kids About Preparation and Consistency

By Lalit Akhade, Founder & Head Coach, ChessMates Academy · Published 2026-04-26 · 8 min read

The Historic Score That Rewrote the Record Books

Javokhir Sindarov, a 20-year-old grandmaster from Uzbekistan, just made history at the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. He finished with a score of 10 out of 14 — six wins, eight draws, and zero losses. The highest score ever recorded in the modern Candidates format, which has been running since 2013.

The Sindarov Formula: Simple, But Not Easy

After winning, Sindarov was asked about his secret: *"I'm not a guy who likes sitting 24 hours checking lines. I play bullet also. I just try to enjoy the moment, enjoy life, and play good chess, and everything works well."*

No burnout. No robotic drilling. Just deep love for the game combined with serious, focused preparation when it mattered. This is exactly what chess education researchers have been saying for years: children who learn chess in an environment that balances structured learning with genuine enjoyment develop skills that last a lifetime.

What Parents of Chess Kids Need to Know

Pattern recognition. Chess players learn to see recurring structures across thousands of different positions. For kids, this translates directly into better performance in mathematics, reading comprehension, and science.

Delayed gratification. In chess, you often invest now to win later. Children who study chess develop a remarkable ability to think several steps ahead.

Composure under pressure. Sindarov played 14 rounds of the highest-stakes chess on the planet and never cracked. That mental toughness is trainable — and chess is one of the best tools available to parents who want to develop it.

Consistency over intensity. Sindarov didn't study 18 hours a day. He studied smart and consistently. For kids learning chess, this is the single most important lesson: showing up regularly, learning one concept at a time, and building on it week after week.

The Indian Connection

India's own chess scene produced several players in this tournament — including R. Praggnanandhaa, who faced Sindarov directly. India is now a chess superpower, with young players regularly competing at the very top of the world. If your child is in India or in the Indian diaspora in the UAE, UK, Singapore, or Australia, they are growing up in the most exciting period in Indian chess history.

The Right Age to Start

Every chess coach agrees: the earlier a child starts learning chess in a structured environment, the faster they develop. The ideal age window is between 5 and 10. Parents often ask: "My child is already 11 or 12 — is it too late?" Absolutely not. Chess has no ceiling and no expiry date.

Sindarov is proof that chess, learned right and loved deeply, can take a young person all the way to the top of the world. Start your child's chess journey today at ChessMates.