Head To Head

Head‑to‑Head Records

The rivalries that will define the 2026 Candidates

By Barmoiben Kipkemoi Araap Korir · edwinkorir@gmail.com

In a double round‑robin tournament, historical matchups matter. Past encounters shape psychological edges, reveal opening preferences, and sometimes expose vulnerabilities. Below are the classical chess records among the eight participants of the 2026 Candidates Tournament, compiled from chessgames.com and official FIDE databases. Numbers include only standard time‑control games (no rapid/blitz) and are current through March 2026.

🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana (2795)

Opponent	Games	Caruana Wins	Draws	Opponent Wins	Caruana's Score
🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura	26	6	15	5	13.5 / 26
🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov	1	1	0	0	1.0 / 1
🇨🇳 Wei Yi	5	3	2	0	4.0 / 5
🇷🇺 Andrey Esipenko	4	2	2	0	3.0 / 4
🇳🇱 Anish Giri	18	4	13	1	10.5 / 18
🇩🇪 Matthias Blübaum	1	1	0	0	1.0 / 1
🇮🇳 R Praggnanandhaa	6	3	2	1	4.0 / 6

🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura (2810)

Opponent	Games	Nakamura Wins	Draws	Opponent Wins	Nakamura's Score
🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana	26	5	15	6	12.5 / 26
🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov	0	Never met in classical
🇨🇳 Wei Yi	4	2	2	0	3.0 / 4
🇷🇺 Andrey Esipenko	1	1	0	0	1.0 / 1
🇳🇱 Anish Giri	16	2	12	2	8.0 / 16
🇩🇪 Matthias Blübaum	1	0	1	0	0.5 / 1
🇮🇳 R Praggnanandhaa	6	2	4	0	4.0 / 6

🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov (2745)

Opponent	Games	Sindarov Wins	Draws	Opponent Wins	Sindarov's Score
🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana	1	0	0	1	0.0 / 1
🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura	0	Never met in classical
🇨🇳 Wei Yi	3	0	3	0	1.5 / 3
🇷🇺 Andrey Esipenko	1	1	0	0	1.0 / 1
🇳🇱 Anish Giri	0	Never met in classical
🇩🇪 Matthias Blübaum	0	Never met in classical
🇮🇳 R Praggnanandhaa	2	0	1	1	0.5 / 2

🇨🇳 Wei Yi (2754)

Opponent	Games	Wei Yi Wins	Draws	Opponent Wins	Wei Yi's Score
🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana	5	0	2	3	1.0 / 5
🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura	4	0	2	2	1.0 / 4
🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov	3	0	3	0	1.5 / 3
🇷🇺 Andrey Esipenko	2	0	2	0	1.0 / 2
🇳🇱 Anish Giri	7	1	5	1	3.5 / 7
🇩🇪 Matthias Blübaum	1	1	0	0	1.0 / 1
🇮🇳 R Praggnanandhaa	5	1	3	1	2.5 / 5

🇷🇺 Andrey Esipenko (2698)

Opponent	Games	Esipenko Wins	Draws	Opponent Wins	Esipenko's Score
🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana	4	0	2	2	1.0 / 4
🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura	1	0	0	1	0.0 / 1
🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov	1	0	0	1	0.0 / 1
🇨🇳 Wei Yi	2	0	2	0	1.0 / 2
🇳🇱 Anish Giri	2	0	2	0	1.0 / 2
🇩🇪 Matthias Blübaum	0	Never met in classical
🇮🇳 R Praggnanandhaa	3	1	1	1	1.5 / 3

🇳🇱 Anish Giri (2753)

Opponent	Games	Giri Wins	Draws	Opponent Wins	Giri's Score
🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana	18	1	13	4	7.5 / 18
🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura	16	2	12	2	8.0 / 16
🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov	0	Never met in classical
🇨🇳 Wei Yi	7	1	5	1	3.5 / 7
🇷🇺 Andrey Esipenko	2	0	2	0	1.0 / 2
🇩🇪 Matthias Blübaum	3	1	2	0	2.0 / 3
🇮🇳 R Praggnanandhaa	7	1	5	1	3.5 / 7

🇩🇪 Matthias Blübaum (2698)

Opponent	Games	Blübaum Wins	Draws	Opponent Wins	Blübaum's Score
🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana	1	0	0	1	0.0 / 1
🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura	1	0	1	0	0.5 / 1
🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov	0	Never met in classical
🇨🇳 Wei Yi	1	0	0	1	0.0 / 1
🇷🇺 Andrey Esipenko	0	Never met in classical
🇳🇱 Anish Giri	3	0	2	1	1.0 / 3
🇮🇳 R Praggnanandhaa	1	0	1	0	0.5 / 1

🇮🇳 R Praggnanandhaa (2741)

Opponent	Games	Pragg Wins	Draws	Opponent Wins	Pragg's Score
🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana	6	1	2	3	2.0 / 6
🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura	6	0	4	2	2.0 / 6
🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov	2	1	1	0	1.5 / 2
🇨🇳 Wei Yi	5	1	3	1	2.5 / 5
🇷🇺 Andrey Esipenko	3	1	1	1	1.5 / 3
🇳🇱 Anish Giri	7	1	5	1	3.5 / 7
🇩🇪 Matthias Blübaum	1	0	1	0	0.5 / 1

These numbers tell only part of the story. Recent form, opening preparation, and the pressure of the moment often rewrite historical records. Still, certain trends stand out: Caruana holds a solid edge over most of the field; Giri has drawn his way to parity with almost everyone; and the younger players—Sindarov, Pragg, Esipenko—have limited but often sharp history against the veterans. As the double round‑robin unfolds, these rivalries will be tested anew.

Data compiled from chessgames.com and FIDE databases. Includes only classical games (standard time control) as of March 2026.

© 2026 · The Gauntlet · A chess history series