Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov won the Titled Tuesday tournament on March 3, 2026, securing his third title of the year through a final-round victory and favorable tiebreaks. The event marked the start of the Spring Split in the 2025-26 season. Sindarov defeated GM Nihal Sarin in the decisive game after leaders Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Dmitry Andreikin drew early.
The Titled Tuesday tournament, held weekly on Chess.com for titled players, began at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on March 3, 2026. It featured 11 rounds of rapid chess, with Sindarov emerging as the champion after a competitive field.
Sixteen players started with perfect 4/4 scores, but only Sindarov, Vachier-Lagrave, and Hikaru Nakamura reached 6/6. Nakamura handed Sindarov his first loss in round seven via the Scandinavian Defense, advancing to 7/7. Vachier-Lagrave also hit 7/7 by defeating Denis Lazavik, then faced Nakamura in round eight. Vachier-Lagrave forced Nakamura to concede the bishop pair early, compounded by time pressure. Nakamura later remarked, "everything that could go wrong this game did go wrong," as Vachier-Lagrave secured the win and a perfect 8/8.
Entering the second break, seven players tied at 7/8, including Nakamura and Nihal, but Sindarov trailed. In round nine, Vachier-Lagrave drew with Nihal after a rook endgame where Nihal won a pawn but allowed a drawable pawn ending; Vachier-Lagrave failed to hold the opposition. Andreikin defeated Nakamura for his second consecutive loss, while Vachier-Lagrave beat Bharath. Sindarov stood alone at 8.5/10.
In the final round, Vachier-Lagrave and Andreikin, tied at 9/10, opted for a quick Berlin Draw to ensure top-three finishes. This allowed Sindarov, facing Nihal, to take the lead. Sindarov sacrificed his queen, resulting in two rooks, two bishops, and an extra pawn against Nihal's queen, rook, and bishop. Though not immediately advantageous, Sindarov exploited Nihal's weakened kingside pawns to convert the win.
Tiebreaks placed Sindarov first, Andreikin second over Vachier-Lagrave, followed by Arjun Erigaisi in fourth, Nikolas Theodorou fifth, and Jose Ibarra sixth. WGM Dinara Wagner won the women's prize with 8/11. Prizes included $1,000 for Sindarov, $750 for Andreikin, and $350 for Vachier-Lagrave. The event was broadcast with commentary from GM David Howell, WFM Maud Rodsmoen, and CM Jon Kristian Haarr. Sindarov earned 10 points in the Spring Split of the Champions Chess Tour.
