Team Vitality Signs Javokhir Sindarov For 2026 And 2027

Team Vitality has brought Javokhir Sindarov back to its chess roster for 2026 and 2027, adding one of the biggest names in chess esports after his FIDE Candidates win in Cyprus.

Good to Know

• Javokhir Sindarov won the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament with 10/14.
• He will challenge World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju later in 2026.
• His first event back with Team Vitality is the Chess.com Open 2026.

Team Vitality Adds World Title Challenger To Chess Roster

Team Vitality has brought Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov back to its chess roster only weeks after the 20-year-old produced a record Candidates result.

Sindarov won the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 in Cyprus with 10 points from 14 games, the highest score in the current double round-robin format. He also secured the title with one round left, joining Viswanathan Anand and Ian Nepomniachtchi among the few players to dominate the event in that format since 2013.

The result earned Sindarov a World Chess Championship match against reigning champion Gukesh Dommaraju later in 2026. His rise had already accelerated in 2025, when he won the FIDE World Cup at 19 years, 11 months and 18 days. That made him the youngest winner of the event and the first Uzbek player to win it.

Team Vitality first entered chess in February 2025 by signing French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave before the Esports World Cup. Chess then gained a larger esports profile after its debut at the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, where Sindarov also competed for Vitality.

The French esports organisation now sees chess as part of its wider global plan. Sindarov also fits the brand because of his gaming past. He played Counter-Strike heavily as a teenager before turning his full attention back to chess in 2021.

Danny Engels, Chief International Officer at Team Vitality, said:

“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.”

Sindarov returns under the Team Vitality banner at the Chess.com Open 2026, a $250,000 rapid event running from 23 to 26 April as part of the Champions Chess Tour. The 16-player double-elimination event gives him his first rapid test since the Candidates.

Team Vitality, founded in France in 2013, competes across Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT, Rocket League and chess. Its Counter-Strike 2 roster won nine international titles in 2025 and earned Esports Team of the Year honors at both the Esports Awards and The Game Awards.