World Chess Championship 2026
Upcoming chess match between Gukesh Dommaraju and Javokhir Sindarov
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The World Chess Championship 2026 is an upcoming chess match to determine the World Chess Champion. It will be played between the defending champion, Gukesh Dommaraju, and the challenger, Javokhir Sindarov, the winner of the Candidates Tournament 2026. The match is set to take place between 24 November and 12 December 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland.[1][2][3][4]
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| Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cologny, Geneva, Switzerland | |||
| 24 November – 12 December 2026 | |||
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Defending champion |
Challenger | ||
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 Gukesh Dommaraju |
 Javokhir Sindarov | ||
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Born 29 May 2006 20 years old |
Born 8 December 2005 20/21 years old | ||
| Winner of the World Chess Championship 2024 | Winner of the Candidates Tournament 2026 | ||
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Defending champion
After defeating Ding Liren in the 2024 championship match, Gukesh has been noted for his poor form in both classical and faster time controls. Notably, from his peak rating of 2794, he dropped out of the list of top 10 ranked chess players in October 2025 as he lost 43 rating points altogether in 2025, placing 41st at the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament and exiting in the third round of the 2025 Chess World Cup as the first seed of the latter event.[5][6][7] His form has also garnered criticism from former world champions Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov, as the latter highlighted the differences in strength between the reign of Gukesh compared to other world champions, including himself.[7]
After a rough stretch of results in 2026 at the Tata Steel Masters and that year's Prague Chess Masters, where he finished in joint-last place with 3½/9 points, Gukesh announced his withdrawal from the classical events of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour.[8][9] In June 2026, Gukesh reflected on his form in an interview with Hindustan Times where he described it as an "elephant in the room" and that the situation overall was "not looking great". He further expanded on these statements by stating that he is now "trying to find a more internal source of motivation, one less dependent on results".[10][11] Gukesh finished last at both Norway Chess 2026 and Chennai Grand Masters 2026, to end on a rating of 2703. At Norway Chess he lost a total of five classical games, while winning only one. At Chennai Grand Masters he went winless with a total of three losses, where he achieved better positions but lost the advantage under time pressure.[12][13] Despite the setbacks, both Viswanathan Anand and Srinath Narayanan highlighted before the conclusion of the latter tournament that the upcoming Chess Olympiad will be an important factor towards regaining his form.[14]
Candidates Tournament
The challenger, Javokhir Sindarov, qualified by winning the Candidates Tournament 2026, which was held at the Cap Saint Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus, between 28 March and 16 April.[15][16]
The eight players to qualify to the Candidates Tournament were:[17][18]
| Qualification method | Player | Age | Rating[19] | World
ranking[19] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (March 2026) | ||||
| 2024 FIDE Circuit winner |  Fabiano Caruana |
34 | 2795 | 3 |
| Top two finishers of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss |  Anish Giri (winner) |
32 | 2753 | 8 |
 Matthias Blübaum (runner-up) |
29 | 2698 | 33 | |
| Top three finishers of the 2025 FIDE World Cup | Javokhir Sindarov (winner) |
20 | 2745 | 13 |
 Wei Yi (runner-up) |
27 | 2754 | 7 | |
 Andrey Esipenko[a] (third place) |
24 | 2698 | 34 | |
| 2025 FIDE Circuit winner | R Praggnanandhaa |
21 | 2741 | 14 |
| Highest average rating (Aug 2025 – Jan 2026)[b] | Hikaru Nakamura |
38 | 2810 | 2 |
Unlike other Candidates Tournaments, and any FIDE World Championship cycle (except 1999–2004 during the split-title period), there was no automatic spot for the runner-up of the previous Championship (Ding Liren). To compensate, the 2024 championship was considered an eligible tournament for the FIDE Circuit, with the runner-up obtaining special bonus points for the 2025 FIDE Circuit based on his score.[21]
Results
| Rank | Player | Score | SB | Wins | Qualification | JS | AG | FC | WY | HN | MB | RP | AE | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) |
10 / 14 | 64.75 | 6 | Advanced to title match | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | |||
| 2 | Anish Giri (NED) |
8.5 / 14 | 56.5 | 4 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ||||
| 3 | Fabiano Caruana (USA) |
7.5 / 14 | 48 | 4 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ||||
| 4 | Wei Yi (CHN) |
7 / 14 | 44.75 | 2 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 5 | Hikaru Nakamura (USA) |
6.5 / 14 | 44.5 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ||||
| 6 | Matthias Blübaum (GER) |
6 / 14 | 42 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ||||
| 7 | R Praggnanandhaa (IND) |
6 / 14 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ||||
| 8 | Andrey Esipenko (FIDE) |
4.5 / 14 | 31.5 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ||||
Rules for classification: For first place: tie-break games. For subsequent spots: (1) results in tie-break games for first place, if any; (2) Sonneborn–Berger score (SB); (3) total number of wins; (4) head-to-head score among tied players; (5) drawing of lots.[16]
Championship match
Organisation
Bids for the hosting of the World Championship were to be presented to FIDE no later than 31 May 2026,[22] but the deadline was later extended to 21 June.[23] Acting president of FIDE Viswanathan Anand revealed that several countries, including India, the United States, and Cyprus expressed interest in hosting the event.[1] It was then announced on 28 July that Geneva, Switzerland was chosen to host the match from 24 November to 12 December 2026, which marked the first time since 2004 that a world chess championship match will take place in Switzerland.[24][25] The Fondation Martin Bodmer, located in Cologny is chosen as the venue to host the match, with Salesforce as it's main sponsor.[26]
Prize fund
The prize fund allocated for the event is US$2.5 million, unchanged from 2024.[27] Each player would receive US$200,000 for each game won (including forfeits), and the remainder of the money will be distributed equally except if the score is 7.5–6.5 after 13 decisive games or 8–6 after 14 rounds, in which case the winner would receive US$1.3 million and the runner-up would receive US$1.2 million, which is the same amount of money the winner and runner-up would receive if the tournament went to tie-breaks.
Format
Each of the 14 classical games shall be played with 120 minutes for each player since the first move, with 30 minutes added on each player's clock after black's 40th move, and 30 seconds added on each player's clock per move from 41st move. Drawing of colors shall take place at the opening ceremony or before as decided by FIDE. The colors drawn for the first game apply to all odd-ordered games and are reversed for all even ordered games.[4]
Players are not allowed to agree upon a draw before black's 40th move. Any draw occurred before black's 40th move is permitted only if it is due to threefold repetition or stalemate and if approved by the Chief Arbiter or Deputy Arbiter.
Tie-Breaks
If the score after 14 classical games remains equal (7 each), a set of 4 rapid games shall be played with the time control of 15 minutes each player + 10 seconds of increment each player per move. If the score remains equal, a set of 2 rapid games shall be played with 10 minutes each player + 5 seconds of increment each player per move. If draw still remains, a set of 2 blitz games shall be played with the time control of 3 minutes each player + 2 seconds of increment each player per move. If draw still remains, a series of single game elimination matches shall be played in the same blitz format with the first game's colour drawn and reversed after each game until a decisive result occurs.[4]
Schedule
The table below states the dates of the events. All the games (except tie-breaks, if taken place, whose time is yet to be decided) shall start at 3:00 pm CET (UTC+1:00). If a player scores 7.5 or 8 points before 14 games are played, then he shall be declared the winner and the rest of the games shall not be played.[4]
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Notes
- Esipenko is Russian. However, he plays under the FIDE flag because FIDE has banned the display of the Russian flag in international chess competitions since 27 February 2022, in response to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.[20]
