3 min readUpdated: May 6, 2026 09:28 PM IST
Even the most impassive teenager in the world broke character. If actions speak louder than words, Gukesh’s fist pump screamed, even though there was a library-esque hush in the playing hall at Warsaw. For a few seconds, the mask of inscrutability that Gukesh usually wears slipped. For a brief phase, Gukesh turned into the teenager that he is, celebrating a victory in a rapid game at a tournament like a tennis player would celebrate a point.
If one of Gukesh’s most famous victories in chess had gained traction around the world for his opponent Magnus Carlsen smashing his fist on the table in anger, the Indian’s victory on Wednesday over Javokhir Sindarov will also be remembered for Gukesh pumping his fist with a pointed look into the crowd.
Gukesh beats Sindarov with the black pieces, and with a fist pump!https://t.co/eXqTzH9u11#GrandChessTour pic.twitter.com/ZeFqSKmJZJ
— chess24 (@chess24com) May 6, 2026
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In the fifth round of the Super Rapid and Blitz tournament in Warsaw, Gukesh defeated Sindarov, who he will face later this year to defend his world champion’s crown. Playing with black pieces, Gukesh earned his victory in 52 moves at Warsaw. The game saw Sindarov blunder his knight on move 25 and drop down to just over a minute on his clock, advantages that Gukesh never let go, tightening the screws on his opponent until the Uzbek yielded.
Just like the Carlsen result last year, Gukesh’s victory over Sindarov at the Super Rapid and Blitz tournament in Warsaw was swimming in subtext. This is the first time after Sindarov secured his spot in the world championship as a challenger to Gukesh that the duo was facing off. The quicker formats of rapid and blitz are not known to be Gukesh’s domain while Sindarov bosses them. Gukesh has had a wretched run of results since he became world champion while Sindarov has been in rampaging form this year, sweeping to victory at the Candidates tournament without losing a single game.
World champion Gukesh Dommaraju does an uncharacteristic fist pump after defeating Javokhir Sindarov in the fifth round of the Super Rapid and Blitz tournament in Warsaw. (Photo: Screengrab via Saint Louis Chess Club)
Since Gukesh became the world champion in December 2024, every move he made in critical positions, every game he played and did not win, every tournament position where he did not finish at the top became a referendum on his credentials.
Carlsen recently said that Sindarov would be the obvious favourite at the World Championship because Gukesh has “very obvious weaknesses in his understanding”. Garry Kasparov too installed Sindarov as the favourite against Gukesh.
All of this explains why one of the most impassive players in chess was fist pumping after winning a fifth round tie at a rapid and blitz tournament.
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