“Complete nonsense”: Nihal Sarin on Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri a “dodgy” mark in front of the candidates | Exclusively | Chess News –

New Delhi: As the chess world descends on Cyprus for the 2026 candidates, the name Anish Giri remains synonymous with a unique and frustrating memory from the past. 14 draws in 14 matches.

That legendary run in 2016 led to the current Dutch No. 1 being dubbed the ‘King of Draws’.But while the 31-year-old is eyeing the crown in 10 years’ time, with the right to challenge Domaraju Gokesh, Indian grandmaster Nihal Sarin suggests that the ‘dervish giri’ is a tired stereotype that ignores the realities of elite chess.

“I strongly believe that people saying Anish is a volatile player is complete nonsense, frankly,” Nihal told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview on the eve of the tournament.

“I think he’s a huge fighter actually. The thing that attracted him is definitely some kind of legend.”

“Legend” drawing of the kingJerry himself is well aware of the narrative. Speaking to TimesofIndia.com, the Dutch No. 1 revealed the unique obstacles facing the candidates tournament, stating that he had to wait to appoint seconds (coaching assistants) because his top picks were so good that they ended up qualifying for the tournament themselves.

“I understand what makes a good second because that second was so good that he became my opponent,” Jerry joked.

Nihal points to Jerry’s victory at the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss Championship, where he finished unbeaten (with five wins and six draws) to qualify for this particular event, as evidence of his intention to win.“To win the championship by half a point, he obviously won a few matches as well,” Nihal noted. “A lot of draws happen when top players face each other because that’s the game of chess. If both of them play to their absolute potential, it’s a draw. Chess is just that.”Predictions of Nihal 2026 candidatesWhile many experts are focused heavily on Fabiano Caruana or Hikaru Nakamura, Nihal Sarin’s assessment of the 2026 race indicates a more volatile, “open” race.While he respects the American giants, he highlighted Uzbekistan national team player Javokhir Sindarov.“If I had to guess, maybe Fabi or Sendou [Sindarov]“Sindarov is having a great year so far and is playing some amazing chess,” Nihal told this site. Of course, if Prague has a good event, that’s for sure. You can never rule Hikaru out either.”Nihal also warned against marginalizing two-time European champion Matthias Blobaum.

While some call Blobaum’s style realistic, Nihal sees a dangerous trap.Nihal commented, “He’s crazy good at being kind of safe. Not sarcastic, but safe. He’s very good at punishing if opponents try to go on a rampage against him. That’s a very smart way to win matches.”A closely packed female fieldTurning his attention to the favourites, Nihal believes the tournament is more unpredictable than the Open division.“I wouldn’t really be surprised who wins. I think everyone can beat everyone out there,” he said.However, he leaned towards experience as the deciding factor.

“I think it’s more likely that Alexandra Goryachkina or Tan Zhongye will win because they’ve done it before. I think it’s a little easier to have that belief, because because you’ve done it before, you can do it again.”Read also: “We saw tanks on the road”: What it’s like to play chess amid regional conflictAs the marathon begins on Sunday, fame as “Dervish Jerry” or “Blobaum the Underdog” means very little. As Nihal put it: “Absolutely everyone can win.”