About this episode

Mike Klein discusses the FIDE Candidates Tournament and Javokhir Sindarov's impressive performance.

FM Mike Klein of Chess.com joins the show from Cyprus to give an on-the-ground look at the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. We discuss the incredible start by GM Javokhir Sindarov, and what Mike has observed from his interactions with the rising star. Mike also describes the tournament atmosphere,shares behind-the-scenes stories from the venue, and provides insights on the Women’s Candidates race. We also discuss what to expect in the critical rounds ahead including a huge round 8 battle. 0:00 – Intro + Mike Klein joins (Candidates update)0:45 – Javokhir Sindarov’s historic start (6/7) + Anna Muzychuk leading women’s field 1:20 – Sindarov’s personality: “infectious,” approachable, media-friendly3:35 – Candidates trivia + chess culture vs performance debate 4:45 – Comparing Sindarov’s start to past Candidates performances6:18 – Mindset: why Sindarov isn’t satisfied (even after a draw) 7:50 – Will Sindarov keep pushing or coast to victory?9:27 – Tournament suspense vs runaway leader (Nepo comparison) 10:25 – Life in Cyprus: smaller scene vs Madrid/Toronto11:00 – Hotel stories + luxury setting + “White Lotus vibes”12:48 – Safety, isolation, and player accommodations 13:51 – Venue…

People in this episode

Host: Ben Johnson

Guest: Mike Klein

Topics covered

• FIDE Candidates Tournament
• Javokhir Sindarov
• chess culture
• Women’s Candidates
• tournament atmosphere

Keywords

• FIDE Candidates
• Javokhir Sindarov
• chess
• Mike Klein
• Women’s Candidates

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chess.com

Places: Cyprus, Madrid, Toronto

More episodes of Perpetual Chess Podcast

• EP 479 – GM Rafael Leitão on Sindarov’s Historic Candidates Win, His Training Methods & What Comes Next · April 20, 2026 · 1h 2m
• EP 478 – GM Ben Finegold on the Candidates, the Hans–Magnus Netflix Documentary, and TakeTakeTake’s Bold Business Move · April 13, 2026 · 55 min
• EP 477- Jennifer Shahade on Cheating, AI, and Thinking Like a Chess Player · April 7, 2026 · 60 min
• EP 476-Vlad Ghita: Is the Rating System Still Broken? A Data-Driven Investigation · March 31, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Book Recap #38- Silman’s Chess Odyssey + Stories from a Former Student with Gaurav Datta · March 24, 2026 · 1h 22m
• EP 476-  GM Jan Gustafsson previews the 2026 FIDE Candidates · March 17, 2026 · 1h 16m

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