World champion D Gukesh to open Tata Steel Masters campaign against Javokhir Sindarov

D Gukesh at TATA Steel Masters

World Champion D Gukesh will indeed kick off his 2026 Tata Steel Masters campaign against Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov on January 17 in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. This marks Gukesh's return to the prestigious event after a mixed 2025, where he'll face a strong field including four players qualified for the upcoming Candidates Tournament (Anish Giri, R Praggnanandhaa, Javokhir Sindarov, and Matthias Bluebaum). The 14-player Masters section is notably young this year, with an average age around 23, and features a round-robin format over 13 rounds, running until February 1.

This opener pits the 18-year-old Gukesh against the 20-year-old Sindarov, fresh off his 2025 FIDE World Cup win. It's expected to be aggressive, given both players' dynamic styles—Gukesh often avoids early draws, while Sindarov brings momentum from his breakout year. Notably, there's an all-Indian clash between Erigaisi (world No. 2) and Praggnanandhaa (defending Tata Steel champion after beating Gukesh in last year's tiebreaks). India fields a strong contingent with four players, setting up potential fireworks.