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The 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournaments in Cyprus feature stars like Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Zhu Jiner, and Humpy Koneru, all vying for a World Championship shot.
Pragg, Humpy and Divya are the three Indians qualified for their respective Candidates tournament (X)
The road to the next World Chess Championship is officially set, with the line-ups for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournaments now confirmed after the conclusion of the qualification cycle.
After its North American debut in 2024, the iconic event returns to Europe, with Cyprus announced as the host. The tournaments will be staged at the luxury Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort near Paphos.
The Open Candidates Tournament brings together a compelling mix of established stars and rising forces, shaped by performances across the 2024–25 FIDE Circuit, the 2025 World Cup, the 2025 Grand Swiss, and rating qualification.
As 2025 has come to an end, the field for FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 is finalised! 8 players will fight it out in Cyprus from 28th March-16th April 2026 – the winner will challenge the World Champion D Gukesh for the World Championship crown.There are 4 players who are… pic.twitter.com/pGpkVwrF8L
— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) January 2, 2026
The confirmed field features Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Anish Giri, Matthias Blübaum, Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi and Andrey Esipenko, with the final place claimed by Hikaru Nakamura, who qualified via the highest average classical rating over the cycle.
That last addition completes a stacked lineup blending experience, ambition, and contrasting styles — a recipe for fireworks.
The Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 is also locked in, with eight elite players earning their spots through the Women’s World Championship pathway.
With Grandmaster Bibisara Assaubayeva winning the FIDE Women’s World Blitz 2025, the field of the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament is all set! The following are the players who will fight it out from 28th March-16th April 2026 at Cyprus to win it all and challenge GM Ju Wenjun… pic.twitter.com/9K9XNnpcp1— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) January 3, 2026
Zhu Jiner and Aleksandra Goryachkina qualified via the Women’s Grand Prix, while Divya Deshmukh, Humpy Koneru and Tan Zhongyi advanced through the 2025 Women’s World Cup.
Vaishali Rameshbabu and Kateryna Lagno booked their places at the Grand Swiss, with Bibisara Assaubayeva rounding out the field via the Women’s Events qualification route.
Both tournaments will run side by side in a double round-robin format featuring 14 rounds. Games will be played with classical time controls, early draws are prohibited, and the record €1,000,000 prize fund raises the stakes even further.
If players finish level at the top, a playoff will decide who earns the right to challenge for the World Championship titles in November 2026.
January 05, 2026, 5:32 PM IST
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