Team Vitality announced that chess superstar Javokhir Sindarov has rejoined the organization through 2027. The 20-year-old Uzbekistani grandmaster recently won the FIDE Candidates 2026 tournament, earning a spot in the World Chess Championship against Gukesh Dommaraju. Sindarov previously represented Vitality in 2025.
Team Vitality confirmed the return of Javokhir Sindarov on Wednesday, reuniting the player with the esports organization after his stint from May to September 2025. During that period, he competed for the team at the Esports World Cup 2025, finishing between 13th and 16th place. Sindarov becomes the third chess player on Vitality's roster, joining French grandmasters Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Jules Moussard, reflecting the organization's French roots in the chess scene while expanding into the sport alongside esports. The prodigy has surged in form, highlighted by his November 2025 Chess World Cup victory, which netted him $120,000 and a path to the FIDE Candidates. There, he secured qualification for the World Chess Championship. His current FIDE ratings stand at 2745 in standard chess and 2727 in rapid, nearing his 2022 blitz peak. Despite his chess dominance, Sindarov revealed a passion for Counter-Strike, joking during the Candidates that while rivals studied chess for 10 hours daily, he played the video game. Asked by chess24.com if he would pause Counter-Strike ahead of the world title match, he replied, “I don’t know actually. I like this game, and I wanna play, why not? When I play Counter-Strike, I was always living in another world, and it’s always very fun.” Danny Engels, Team Vitality's chief international officer, welcomed Sindarov back, stating, “We are incredibly proud to welcome Javokhir back to Team Vitality. He represents the new generation of chess: bold, ambitious, and unafraid to make big moves. His trajectory speaks for itself, and we know he has everything it takes to become the next World Champion. This signing is a natural step in our ambition to be at the forefront of chess and esports, and to bring the game to new audiences around the world.”
