Abdusattorov To Spend Week Helping Sindarov Prepare For World Championship
Fresh from winning a second Olympiad gold together, Uzbekistan's two biggest chess stars are joining forces again—with Nodirbek Abdusattorov set to spend a week helping his friend Javokhir Sindarov prepare for the biggest match of his life.
They have been friends, rivals and teammates for years. Now two of Uzbekistan's greatest chess talents are joining forces for the ultimate prize.
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov has revealed fresh details of his plans to help compatriot GM Javokhir Sindarov prepare for next month's World Chess Championship against reigning champion GM Gukesh D.
And he has given his friend an extraordinary 80–20 chance of winning.
Speaking on Uzbekistan's Lolazor Podcast, Abdusattorov said he would spend a week working with Sindarov at an undisclosed location ahead of the 14-game match, which begins in Geneva on November 25.
For Abdusattorov, himself a potential future challenger for the world crown, it means putting their individual rivalry aside to help bring chess's greatest title to Uzbekistan for the first time.
The two grandmasters have grown up together as part of the country's remarkable golden generation, and their friendship has survived years of fierce competition at the highest level.
Together, they helped Uzbekistan stun the chess world by winning the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai.
And just last month, they did it again—this time on home soil.
In front of their own supporters in Samarkand, Uzbekistan reclaimed the Olympiad crown, beating Ukraine 2.5–1.5 in the final round to complete a memorable triumph.
Abdusattorov, who recently announced he had got engaged to Uzbek student Sevinch Mavlonova, was outstanding.
In a July interview with The Indian Express, Abdusattorov revealed that their families know each other and that the two regularly exchange chess ideas.
He had already promised to help Sindarov prepare for the World Championship. Now, with the match approaching, those plans are taking shape.
And Abdusattorov's faith in his friend appears almost limitless.
In the podcast, he described Sindarov as one of the five most naturally gifted players in chess history, comparing his talent with that of legendary former world champion GM Garry Kasparov.
He also discussed how Sindarov had transformed his approach to chess, changing coaches, cutting out distractions and devoting himself more completely to the game.
Sindarov's rise has taken him to the brink of becoming Uzbekistan's first classical world champion, while Abdusattorov, once the leading light of their generation, has watched his friend take centre stage.
Standing in Sindarov's way is Gukesh, the Indian prodigy who became the youngest world champion in history in 2024.
But Abdusattorov, this year's Prague Masters champion, believes his friend is the overwhelming favourite.
And he will have his own business to attend to while Sindarov battles for the world crown.
The 22-year-old is heading to London to defend his XTX Markets London Chess Classic title, having demolished the field last year with six consecutive victories and finished two points clear of his nearest rivals.
In a remarkable coincidence, the London Masters begins on November 25—the day after Sindarov sits down opposite Gukesh in Geneva for the opening game of the World Championship.
If Sindarov succeeds, Uzbekistan will have its first classical world chess champion. By then, his old friend may also have conquered London again.
