Blend of generations: Line-ups set for FIDE Candidates 2026

Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, Cyprus

28 March — 16 April

LIVE

With the qualification cycle complete, the line-ups for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournaments are known, setting the stage for the final step on the road to the next World Championship matches.

After debuting in North America in 2024, the iconic event is returning to Europe and to be held at the luxury Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort near Paphos, on the south-western coast of Cyprus.

The Candidates Tournament 2026 will feature a field shaped by performances across two seasons of FIDE Circuit (2024 and 2025), the 2025 World Cup, the 2025 Grand Swiss, and rating qualification. The confirmed line-up brings together proven contenders and players from the new generation, including Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Anish Giri, Matthias Blübaum, Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi and Andrey Esipenko.

The final spot was secured by Hikaru Nakamura, who earned qualification as the player with the highest average classical rating over the qualification period – rounding out a diverse and highly competitive field that blends youth and experience.

The Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 lineup is also fully confirmed, with eight players having qualified through the Women’s World Championship cycle.

Zhu Jiner and Aleksandra Goryachkina earned their places by finishing first and second, respectively, in the 2024–25 FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series. Divya Deshmukh, Humpy Koneru, and Tan Zhongyi qualified through the 2025 Women’s World Cup.

Two further places were decided at the 2025 Women’s Grand Swiss, where Vaishali Rameshbabu and Kateryna Lagno claimed top two qualifying positions. The final spot was awarded to Bibisara Assaubayeva, the 2025 Women’s Blitz Champion, via the Women’s Events qualification path.

Format: In both the Open and the Women’s, the eight qualified players will compete in a double round-robin tournament, consisting of 14 rounds.

Time control: The games will be played with a time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 41.

Draw rule: Players are not permitted to agree to a draw before the completion of Black’s 40th move.

Prize fund: The minimum prize fund for the event stands at a record €1,000,000.

Tie-breaks: In the event of a tie for first place after 14 rounds, a playoff will be played to determine the winner who qualifies for the World Championship Match, due to take place in November 2026.

For a detailed look at the regulations, please see:

Regulations for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 (PDF)

Regulations for the FIDE Women’s Candidate Tournament 2026 (PDF)

fide.com