NEW DELHI: As the chess world descends upon Cyprus for the 2026 Candidates, the name Anish Giri continues to be synonymous with a singular, frustrating memory from the past. 14 draws in 14 games. That legendary run in the 2016 Candidates birthed the “King of Draws” moniker for the current Dutch No. 1.But as the 31-year-old eyes the Candidates crown 10 years later, and with it the right to challenge Dommaraju Gukesh, Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin points out that “Drwaish Giri” is a tired stereotype that ignores the realities of elite chess.“I very, very strongly believe that people saying Anish is a drawish player is complete nonsense, honestly,” Nihal told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview on the eve of the tournament. “I believe he’s a huge fighter, actually. The draw thing is definitely a bit of a myth.”
The “myth” of the Draw KingGiri himself is well aware of the narrative. Speaking about his preparation to TimesofIndia.com, the Dutch No. 1 revealed the unique hurdles of a Candidates cycle, noting that he had to wait to hire seconds (coaching assistants) because his top choices were so good they ended up qualifying for the tournament themselves.“I understand really well what makes a good second because that second was so good he became my opponent,” Giri joked.
Nihal points to Giri’s triumph at the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss, where he finished unbeaten (with five wins and six draws) to qualify for this very event, as proof of his winning intent.“To win the tournament by half a point, he clearly did win a fair few games as well,” Nihal noted. “A lot of draws happen when top players are clashing because that is what chess is. If both play to their absolute potential, it will be a draw. Chess is like that only”Nihal’s Candidates 2026 predictionWhile many experts are hyper-focused on Fabiano Caruana or Hikaru Nakamura, Nihal Sarin’s evaluation of the 2026 field suggests a much more volatile “open” race.While he respects the established American giants, he threw a spotlight on Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov.“If I had to make a guess, maybe Fabi or Sindu [Sindarov],” Nihal told this website. “Sindarov is having a great year so far and playing some amazing chess. And of course, if Pragg has a good event, then absolutely. You can also never count Hikaru out.”Nihal also cautioned against sidelining the two-time European Champion, Matthias Bluebaum. While some call Bluebaum’s style pragmatic, Nihal sees a dangerous trap.“He’s insanely good at being kind of safe. Not drawish, but safe. He is extremely good at punishing if opponents try to go berserk against him. That is a very smart way of winning games,” Nihal remarked.A closely packed women’s fieldTurning his attention to the Women’s Candidates, Nihal believes the tournament is even more unpredictable than the Open section.“I really wouldn’t be surprised at all whoever wins. I think everyone can beat everyone there,” he said.However, he leaned toward experience as the deciding factor.“I would guess probably Aleksandra Goryachkina or Tan Zhongyi is likely to win because they have done it before. I believe it’s a bit easier having that belief, that because you have done it before, you can do it again.”As the marathon begins on Saturday, reputations like “Drawish Giri” or “underdog Bluebaum” mean very little. In Nihal’s words, “Absolutely everybody can win.”
