19-year-old Uzbek GM Javokhir Sindarov has won the 2025 FIDE World Cup and the $120,000 top prize after beating GM Wei Yi 1.5-0.5 in tiebreaks. Sindarov missed a one-move chance to win with White in the first tiebreak game, but he made no mistake with Black in the second. Wei had a promising position near the end, but made moves with a second on his clock and ultimately slipped into a lost position.
This is a flash report—come back later for full coverage of all the day’s action!
2025 FIDE World Cup Finals Bracket
The World Cup bracket is complete, with Sindarov taking the trophy and $120,000, while Wei is runner-up with $85,000. A day earlier GM Andrey Esipenko won the third-place match and a spot in the FIDE Candidates Tournament, earning $60,000 to GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov‘s $50,000.
Our Game of the Day is of course Sindarov’s win in a tense clash that exploded in time trouble. GM Dejan Bojkov will analyze it below.
The final moments as 19-year-old Javokhir Sindarov wins the 2025 FIDE World Cup after Wei Yi lost his way in desperate time trouble! https://t.co/DJnXCnEt8t pic.twitter.com/VjFwiq2Imd
— chess24 (@chess24com) November 26, 2025
2025 FIDE World Cup Champion, GM Javokhir Sindarov 🇺🇿@GMJSindarov celebrates with his family and friends! ❤️👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/UZXDWGJ955
— Rakesh Kulkarni (@itherocky) November 26, 2025
You could watch the event on Chess.com/TV. You can also enjoy the show on Chess24, on Twitch, or YouTube. Games from the event can be viewed on our events page.
The 2025 FIDE World Cup, which took place from November 1 to 26 in Goa, India, determined three spots in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. It was a 206-player single-elimination knockout tournament with eight rounds. Each match consisted of two classical games followed by rapid and blitz tiebreaks if needed. The prize fund was $2 million.
Previous reports:
- Finals Game 2: Esipenko Grabs Last Candidates Spot, Final Goes To Tiebreaks
- Finals Game 1: Esipenko Hits Back To Lead Candidates Battle
- Semifinals Tiebreaks: Wei Yi Joins Sindarov In World Cup Final After Esipenko Blunders Rook
- Semifinals Game 2: Two Candidates Spots To Be Decided In World Cup Tiebreaks
- Semifinals Game 1: Wei Yi Escapes In Style Vs. Esipenko As World Cup Semifinals Begin
- Quarterfinals Tiebreaks: Wei Yi Knocks Out Arjun, Advances With Sindarov, Esipenko
- Quarterfinals Game 2: Yakubboev Advances, Wei Yi Survives Vs. Arjun
- Quarterfinals Game 1: Yakubboev Draws 1st Blood, Crosses 2700 Live Rating
- Round 5 Tiebreaks: Shankland, Esipenko, Martinez, Donchenko Reach World Cup Quarterfinals
- Round 5 Game 2: Arjun Beats Aronian To Reach World Cup Quarterfinals
- Round 5 Game 1: 19-Year-Old Sindarov Grabs Only Win
- Round 4 Tiebreaks: Arjun Strides On As Pragg, Keymer, MVL, Rapport Lead World Cup Exodus
- Round 4 Game 2: Donchenko, Martinez Continue Giant-Killing As 11 Matches Go To Tiebreaks
- Round 4 Game 1: Aronian, Martinez Strike As Praggnanandhaa Escapes Vs. Dubov
- Round 3 Tiebreaks: Vachier-Lagrave Wins Marathon Match In Armageddon
- Round 3 Game 2: World Champion Gukesh Eliminated By Frederik Svane; Giri, Abdusattorov Also Out
- Round 3 Game 1: Martinez Upsets Abdusattorov With Black Pieces
- Round 2 Tiebreaks: Lodici Knocks Out Niemann, Rasmus Svane Wins In Armageddon
- Round 2 Game 2: Harikrishna Sacs Queen; Nepomniachtchi, Wesley So, Aravindh Eliminated
- Round 2 Game 1: Arjun, Keymer, Wei, Mamedyarov, Vachier-Lagrave Among Early Leaders
- Round 1 Tiebreaks: 12-Year-Old Oro Among 20 Winners In Tiebreaks
- Round 1 Game 2: IM Shixu Wang Pulls Upset, 20 Matches Go To Tiebreaks
- Round 1 Game 1: Saleh Plays Attack Of The Day, Favorites Prevail In Game 1
- 2025 FIDE World Cup Pairings, Venue Revealed
- Divya Among 6 Players Awarded World Cup Wildcard Spots; Firouzja Not In
