Chess NewsApril 17, 2026
FIDE Candidates 2026 Final Update on April 17: Sindarov Wins in Cyprus
DeepBlunder
4 min read

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At the halfway mark, the tournament still refused to produce a runaway leader. FIDE’s round-six report said Vignir Vatnar Stefansson had emerged as sole leader with 5.5/6 and added that, with five rounds remaining, the event was still wide open.

Robert Hovhannisyan, Isik Can, Jonas Buhl Bjerre, and Aydin Suleymanli are all listed on 5.0/7, which means the event still has a compact lead group rather than a runaway favorite.

Round 13 did not produce a dramatic late collapse, a miracle comeback, or a last-second swing at the top; instead, it confirmed that Sindarov has been the strongest and most consistent player in the field.