Fabiano Caruana on the Uzbek chess school and its young talents

One of the world leading grandmasters, Fabiano Caruana, has shared his thoughts about the Uzbek chess school and its golden generation. He noted that the country young talents are developing extremely fast, and this process is of great interest to the entire global chess community.

Recalling the past, Caruana mentioned that around 2020–2021 Rustam Kasimdzhanov had already started speaking about chess players who, despite their young age, possessed enormous potential. At that time Kasimdzhanov singled out Nodirbek Yakubboev as one of the most talented and most promising athletes. However, according to the grandmaster, making precise predictions about such young and strong rivals is an extremely difficult task.

Caruana first played against Nodirbek Abdusattorov at the World Rapid Championship in 2021. He recalled that Nodirbek ended that tournament with a victory and praised his skill. As for Javokhir Sindarov, Caruana had heard his name back in 2021 but only met him over the board at the Grand Swiss tournament in 2023. Despite Sindarov rating not being particularly high at the time, Caruana quickly sensed his inner strength. In the grandmaster view, Javokhir unusual and sharp opening style hinted that he would soon become a serious opponent.

The fact that Nodirbek Abdusattorov is now a world-renowned chess player came as no surprise to Caruana. He considered his Olympiad achievements a logical outcome. However, Javokhir Sindarov impressive result at the Candidates Tournament, in particular his six points, turned out to be a genuine discovery and a bright surprise for the entire chess world.