Five rounds into the 2026 UzChess Cup Masters, and this event is delivering exactly the kind of chess you want to watch. Of the 20 games played so far, 13 have ended decisively — draws have basically been the exception, not the rule.
Sitting alone at the top of the standings is local favorite GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov, and he got there the scenic way. After dropping a game to GM Hans Niemann in round two, Vokhidov has done nothing but win since — three in a row, over GMs Mukhiddin Madaminov, Nikolas Theodorou, and most recently Ian Nepomniachtchi. Not a bad way to bounce back.
A few numbers worth flagging: 13 of 20 games decisive overall, and round two in particular was a bloodbath — a clean 5/5 sweep for the white pieces. In round five specifically, Vokhidov and Madaminov were the ones adding to their score.
So, What Exactly Is the UzChess Cup?
This is the third edition of the event, held once again in Tashkent, and the field is stacked — a strong group of Uzbek grandmasters going up against serious international competition. It's a 10-player round robin, with a classical time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes more, plus a 30-second increment starting from move one. First prize is $20,000. The Masters also has three companion sections — the Challengers, Futures, and Open — and, similar to Wijk aan Zee, the top finishers in each section get promoted up a level the following year.
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New Faces, Old Tension
Seven of the ten players have been here before, having competed in one or both previous Masters editions. The one true newcomer is Niemann, playing his first UzChess Cup. The other two fresh faces earned their spots: Theodorou by winning last year's Challengers outright, and Madaminov by finishing second. (Madaminov's had quite the year, by the way — he also served on GM Javokhir Sindarov's team during Sindarov's historic run at the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament.)
And then there's the drama. At the pre-tournament technical meeting, Nepomniachtchi went around shaking hands with every player in the room — except Niemann. The two had just finished a match in Belgrade that ended in a 4-4 tie, and a disagreement over how the prize money was split apparently left them not exactly on speaking terms. So yeah — round six should be interesting.
