India At FIDE Candidates 2026 Guide: Preview, Points System, Format, Dates And Everything You Should Know

The FIDE Candidates 2026, arguably one of the most grueling and competitive event in the chess calendar, is currently underway at the Cap St George’s Hotel & Resort in Paphos, Cyprus.

Running from March 28 to April 16, 2026, the tournament serves as the final gateway to the World Chess Championship, where the winner will earn the right to challenge the reigning champions across the open and women's categories for the global crown later this year.

Both the divisions each feature a select field of eight world-class players, embarking on a multi-week match-ups to crown the next official challengers for the throne.

Reigning Open champion D Gukesh and Women’s titleholder Ju Wenjun will be watching closely as the tournament unfolds, waiting to see which of these elite competitors emerges to face them in their respective World Championship matches later this year.

FIDE Candidates 2026 Format

The tournament is structured as an 8-player double round-robin, requiring each competitor to face their rivals twice, once with each color across 14 rounds of classical chess.

The clock is set to 120 minutes for the initial 40 moves, followed by a 30-minute block to finish the game with a 30-second increment added for every move starting from the 41st.

To maintain competitive intensity, players are barred from agreeing to a draw before Black completes their 40th move.

Scoring System In FIDE Candidates 2026

The scoring follows a traditional format where a full point is awarded for every victory, while a draw results in both players receiving a half-point. No points are granted for a loss.

At the conclusion of the 14-round marathon, the individual who has accumulated the highest total score will be crowned the winner and the official challenger for the world title.

Should the standings remain level at the top, decisive tiebreakers will be held on the final day, April 16 to officially crown the challenger.

Who Are Participating In FIDE Candidates 2026?

Open: Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, R Praggnanandhaa, Wei Yi, Javokhir Sindarov, Matthias Bluebaum, Andrey Esipenko

Women: Zhu Jiner, Tan Zhongyi, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Anna Muzychuk, Divya Deshmukh, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Kateryna Lagno, Bibisara Assaubayeva.

FIDE Candidates 2026 Dates And Time

The tournament officially commenced with an opening ceremony on March 28, clearing the way for the first round of action on March 29.

The competition will last for 14 intense rounds, concluding on April 15 with rest days on April 2, 6, 10, and 13 to allow players to recharge. Matches will start from 7:00PM (IST) except rest days

The total prize fund for the Open section is €700,000 (INR 7.6 Cr). The winner receives €70,000 (INR 76 Lakhs), with additional bonuses of €5,000 for every half-point (INR 5.4 Lakhs) scored by any player.

The winner in the women's section will be rewarded with €300,000 (INR 3.27 crore).

FIDE Candidates 2026: How To Watch The Tournament Live?

The event will be live streamed on the FIDE official YouTube channel.