The top of the Candidates is becoming increasingly clear

Round six of the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus once again highlighted the event’s biggest story: Javokhir Sindarov simply cannot be stopped. The 20-year-old grandmaster from Tashkent defeated Wei Yi with the black pieces, taking his score to 5.5/6 and further strengthening his grip on first place. With this win, Sindarov opened a 1.5-point lead over his closest pursuer, Fabiano Caruana. Even more telling, the players tied for third are already 2.5 points behind the leader, a sign that the balance of the tournament has shifted dramatically even before the halfway mark has fully passed.

What makes Sindarov’s performance even more impressive is the nature of his victories. Three of his five wins in six rounds have come with the black pieces, showing not only excellent preparation but also the ability to seize the initiative in complex positions without waiting for chances to come to him. His win over Wei Yi fit that pattern perfectly: scoring a full point with Black in an event as demanding as the Candidates carries major psychological weight. If he maintains this pace, Sindarov may enter the second half of the tournament in a position not only to face his rivals, but to dictate the rhythm of the event itself.

The other three games of the round all ended in draws. The quickest encounter of the day was the game between Hikaru Nakamura and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, where the players repeated moves after just 23 moves. By contrast, the game between Anish Giri and Matthias Bluebaum was a long strategic battle lasting 84 moves, though it was no less peaceful in the end. With queens off the board early and the pawn structure remaining closed, neither side seriously attempted a pawn break or a decisive simplification. It was a patient manoeuvring contest, but one that left the standings unchanged.

Fabiano Caruana, meanwhile, managed to win an extra pawn for a time against Andrey Esipenko, yet he never achieved a lasting advantage. Since the dynamic balance of the position remained intact, the game eventually and naturally ended in a draw. That result mattered in the bigger picture, because in a Candidates Tournament it is never enough merely to avoid losing ground—you also have to capitalize when the leader stumbles. At the moment, however, the picture is clear: Sindarov is not only scoring points, he is also denying his rivals realistic chances to catch him. As the tournament heads into its second half, the central question is now obvious: can anyone stop this run?