German chess grandmaster Matthias Blübaum started the 2026 Candidates Tournament for the World Championship with four draws from the first four games. On Good Friday, the 28-year-old found his master for the first time; co-favorite Fabiano Caruana from the USA was too strong. Meanwhile, a top talent is marching to the front and doesn’t stop at the top stars.
Matthias Blübaum suffered his first defeat in the fifth game of the Candidates Chess Tournament in Cyprus. Fabiano Caruana, third in the world rankings, checkmated Lemgoer, who was in 32nd position, with his white pieces after the 28th move. “It’s a very important victory,” said Caruana, who was well prepared for this game, at the press conference.
Blübaum was anything but satisfied with his game; he was completely surprised by his opponent’s tactics. “I didn’t know today’s line. I think every move I made was terrible,” he judged himself harshly.
In the first four rounds, the German chess grandmaster drew four times, including with black against the strong Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov, who defeated Caruana on Wednesday and is number one in the rankings. With the white pieces he has so far competed against Wei Yi from China, Andrey Esipenko from Russia and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu from India.
“Matthias can be very happy. He still has every chance,” DSB sports director Kevin Högy said after the first four of a total of 14 rounds: “The longer the tournament goes, the more risk his opponents have to take against him.”
Next highlight: Chess talent Sindarov also beats Nakamura
The previously leading Javokhir Sindarov achieved another bang on Good Friday. The 20-year-old prevailed with the black pieces against top star Hikaru Nakamura. He gave Nakamura a lot to think about: 67 minutes passed between his twelfth and thirteenth moves.
With 4.5 out of a possible five points, the Uzbek, the youngest participant in the field, currently has the best chance of challenging the reigning world champion Dommaraju Gukesh in the duel for the World Cup title. Nakamura, on the other hand, only has 1.5 points.
Matthias Blübaum is considered a blatant outsider at the Candidates Tournament; he was the first German to qualify for the World Cup in 35 years. Blübaum has been grandmaster since 2015. He completed a mathematics degree until 2022, and only then did he fully commit to chess.
At least 700,000 euros in prize money will be distributed at the World Cup candidate tournament. The winner receives 70,000 euros, and each player receives another 5,000 euros for every half point scored. Blübaum faces each of his seven opponents twice. The event is considered one of the toughest in the tournament calendar.
