The remarkable ascent of Javokhir Sindarov extended into the fifth round of the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. Playing with the black pieces, Sindarov achieved a significant victory over the top-seeded Hikaru Nakamura, elevating his score to an impressive 4½ out of 5. In another decisive match, Fabiano Caruana also emerged victorious, defeating Matthias Bluebaum and maintaining his position just one point behind Sindarov.
Reports indicate that both Nakamura and Bluebaum faced challenges in the initial phases of their respective games, which ultimately proved to be critical. The remaining two encounters of the round concluded in draws.