World Chess Championship 2026

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.^[1][2]

The eight players to qualify to the Candidates Tournament were:^[3][4]

More information Qualification method, Player ...

Qualification method	Player	Age	Rating[5]	World ranking[5]
		(March 2026)
2024 FIDE Circuit winner	Fabiano Caruana	33	2795	3
Top two finishers of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss	Anish Giri (winner)	31	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	20	2741	14
Highest average rating (Aug 2025 – Jan 2026)[b]	Hikaru Nakamura	38	2810	2

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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.^[7]

Results

More information Rank, Score ...

Standings of the 2026 Candidates Tournament

Rank	Player v t e	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

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Source: FIDE
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.^[2]

Note: Numbers in the crosstable in a white background indicate the result playing the respective opponent with the white pieces (black pieces if on a black background). This does not give information which of the two games was played in the first half of the tournament, and which in the second.

• Women's World Chess Championship 2026