Uzchess Cup: Madaminov Wins in a Playoff
Another Victory for Team Sindarov. Plus, a look ahead to the next super-tournament.
19-year-old Mukhiddin Madaminov was the lowest-rated player (2586) at the Uzchess Cup and almost 200 points lower-rated than Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2777), the top seed. In fact, he wasn’t even invited, initially, but was a replacement for Candidates winner (and possibly the next World Champion) Javokhir Sindarov. It didn’t matter. He tied for first with Shamsiddin Vokhidov, and the field was lucky that Madaminov’s score wasn’t even greater. (He was winning in the last round for a long time before letting his opponent slip out with a draw. That’s not the only half-point he left on the table.) When the time came for a playoff, he was ready: he defeated Vokhidov - who was himself the third lowest-rated player in the tournament, barely ahead of Nikolas Theodorou - 2-0.
It has been an amazing few months for the players around Sindarov. First and foremost, there was his smashing win in the Candidates. Then his girlfriend, Kazakh GM Bibisara Assaubeyava, won the women’s event at Norway Chess. Now, to complete the trifecta, his main second from the Candidates, Madaminov, has won this prestigious tournament. Congratulations to all of them.
If you’re wondering what’s next, good news: you don’t have to wait for long. The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships start on Wednesday in Hong Kong (which will be straddle Tuesday and Wednesday for those of us in the U.S.). There will be three days of rapid chess and two days of blitz, with loads of strong players starting with Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. Let the entertainment begin! (For those who prefer to watch elite chess played at a statelier pace, you’ll have to wait until Biel in mid-July.)