In a stunning display of strategic mastery, Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov, 19, defeated China's Wei Yi in a tense FIDE World Cup final on November 25, 2025, becoming the youngest champion in the tournament's history. The week-long chess battle in Goa, India, culminated in a dramatic second rapid tiebreak after classical games and initial rapid rounds failed to produce a decisive result.
Sindarov's victory came through relentless pressure in an Italian Game formation, systematically constricting Wei's defensive options over 60 moves. The triumph secures the teenager a spot in next year's Candidates Tournament alongside Wei and Russia's Andrey Esipenko, setting the stage for a potential 2026 World Championship challenge against India's reigning titleholder Gukesh Dommaraju.
This landmark win underscores Asia's growing dominance in competitive chess, with three of the four Candidates qualifiers hailing from the region. Analysts note the result continues a trend of younger players reshaping elite chess dynamics, following Gukesh's own historic World Championship victory at age 18 in 2023.
