Caruana v Sindarov, by the numbers

October 20, 2026 · Their 4 classical games, out of 73 of Caruana's and 44 of Sindarov's from Lichess broadcasts

Fabiano Caruana and Javokhir Sindarov meet in Saint Louis at Clutch Chess, October 27 to 29. In the classical games on file, 2024 to 2026, they have played four times, all this year, and Caruana has not won any of them: Sindarov won their game in round 4 of the Candidates, and the other three were drawn.

Four games are too few to call a pattern, so this page leans on what each player's own games say: the opening they both keep going back to, and how hard each is to prepare against. Clutch is played at rapid, a faster time control than classical. The record here is classical, because that is where both have far more games on file and where their preparation shows.

Caruana has not beaten Sindarov in four classical games

Caruana scored 1½ points of 4 against Sindarov: a loss and three draws. Against everyone else within 50 rating points of Sindarov, in the same two years of games, Caruana scored 56% in 50 games. Sindarov, against players within 50 points of Caruana, scored 61% in 19. Four games is a small sample: one Caruana win would level it.

Classical games, 2024 to 2026. Score: a win counts 1, a draw a half. Caruana was rated 32 points higher on average in their four games.

Their classical games
Event	White	Black	Result
FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, round 4	Sindarov	Caruana	1–0, 36 moves
FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, round 11	Caruana	Sindarov	½–½, 58 moves
Super Chess Classic Romania 2026, round 6	Caruana	Sindarov	½–½, 34 moves
Sinquefield Cup 2026, round 6	Sindarov	Caruana	½–½, 42 moves

The opening both keep going back to

5 classical games in which Caruana, with Black, reached this position

The Ragozin, 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4, is the position Caruana reaches most often with Black from move 4 on: 5 classical games since 2025, against Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa, Anish Giri, Sindarov and Samuel Sevian. Sindarov has reached it with White 3 times, twice against Giri and once against Caruana, in round 6 of the Sinquefield Cup in August, a 42-move draw. When Sindarov has White, this is the position both have played most.

After 4...Bb4, the Ragozin. Caruana reached it with Black in 5 classical games, Sindarov with White in 3.

Against 1.Nf3, Sindarov has a set answer

3 classical games in which Sindarov, with Black, reached this position

Caruana opened 1.Nf3 in 7 of their 37 classical games with White, including in round 11 of the Candidates against Sindarov. Sindarov answered with ...d5, ...e6, ...Nf6 and ...Be7, and castled: a Catalan, the opening in which White's bishop sits on g2. That position, after 6.d4, is the one Sindarov reaches most often with Black from move 6 on: 3 classical games, against Caruana, Jorden van Foreest and Arjun Erigaisi. The game with Caruana was drawn in 58 moves.

After 6.d4, a Catalan. Sindarov reached it with Black in 3 classical games, one of them against Caruana.

Neither is easy to prepare against

One way to measure how predictable a player is: how far into a game their positions keep matching one of their other games. Half of Caruana's classical games with White are in a position none of their other White games reached by move 5; with Black, by move 4. For Sindarov it is move 4 with White and move 5 with Black. Every one of the nine players featured here lands between move 3 and move 5 in classical chess, so neither stands out. What can be prepared is the two lines above.

The move by which half of each player's classical games are somewhere new: in a position none of their other games with the same pieces reached.

The players

Fabiano Caruana's chess, by the numbers
Fabiano Caruana's chess by the numbers: 73 classical games from 2024 to 2026 and 200 online blitz games, every move checked by Stockfish.
Javokhir Sindarov's chess, by the numbers
Javokhir Sindarov's 2026, counted: 44 classical games including the Candidates and 200 blitz games, checked move by move. The hard moves, the Benko, the clock.

How this was measured

Classical games only, from Lichess broadcasts: 73 of Caruana's from 2024 to 2026 and 44 of Sindarov's from 2026, with each game between them counted once. Two games are in the same position when the pieces, the side to move and the castling rights match, however the moves got there. Score: a win counts 1, a draw a half. Ratings are FIDE classical ratings at the time of each game. This page needed no engine; each player's own page has the engine's findings.

Classical games from Lichess's broadcasts. Plysight is independent of Lichess, the Saint Louis Chess Club, Caruana and Sindarov. Published October 20, 2026; updated October 20, 2026.

Run it on your own games

Piece art by Cburnett, CC BY-SA 3.0.