With Sindarov about to secure victory in the Candidates tournament, I liked a line I read about what his coach said to him during the tournament: “If you’re someone who is strong enough to win this tournament, you will, if not we’ll keep working hard.“

I like Sindarov a lot, seems like a very normal guy who enjoys playing FIFA and Counter-Strike, friendly, no sense of entitlement, comfortable in his own skin, a quiet confidence from knowing he’s put in the work for years.