2026 FIDE Candidates Tournaments Kick Off in Cyprus with Grand Ceremony

The prestigious 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament and the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament officially commenced with a dazzling opening ceremony on March 28, 2026, in Pegeia, Cyprus, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated events in the chess world. The tournaments, which will run until April 16, 2026, are being held concurrently at the opulent Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort. The opening ceremony itself was described by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and other sources as a spectacle 'worthy of champions', blending music, fireworks, humour, and moments of gravity. Dignitaries, including ambassadors and representatives from various countries such as the United States, Kazakhstan, China, India, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and the host nation Cyprus, were in attendance. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich officially declared the tournaments open amidst an atmosphere of enthusiasm, despite a brief spell of rain. Players were introduced, with some engaging in light-hearted banter, showcasing their personalities beyond the chessboard. Notably, GM Wei Yi surprised the audience by revealing his passion for poetry. These twin tournaments represent the final and most rigorous stage in the FIDE World Championship cycle. The winner of the Open Candidates Tournament will earn the coveted right to challenge the reigning World Chess Champion, Gukesh Dommaraju, for the world title later in 2026. Similarly, the victor of the Women's Candidates Tournament will compete against the current Women's World Chess Champion, Ju Wenjun. Both the Open and Women's Candidates Tournaments feature eight of the world's elite chess players, competing in a challenging double round-robin format. This means each participant will play against every other opponent twice—once with the white pieces and once with the black pieces—across 14 intense rounds of classical chess. The time control for the Open section is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move 41. The Women's section has a slightly different time control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move 1. Tie-breaks involving rapid and blitz games will be employed if players are tied for first place after the 14 rounds. The total minimum prize fund allocated for both tournaments is a record €1,000,000. The Open Candidates Tournament boasts a minimum prize fund of €700,000, with €70,000 going to the first-place winner and an additional €5,000 for every half-point scored by each player. The Women's Candidates Tournament has a minimum prize fund of €300,000, with €28,000 for the winner and €2,200 per half-point. India has a strong contingent in these prestigious events, drawing significant interest from the Indian audience. In the Open Candidates, Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is a key contender, making his second appearance after qualifying via the 2025 FIDE Circuit. His rise in the chess world has been meteoric, and he is widely regarded as a serious challenger for the world title in the coming years. The Open field also includes formidable players such as Fabiano Caruana (USA), Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Anish Giri (Netherlands), Wei Yi (China), Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan), Matthias Blübaum (Germany), and Andrey Esipenko (FIDE). In the Women's Candidates Tournament, India is represented by Grandmasters Divya Deshmukh and Vaishali Rameshbabu. Divya Deshmukh qualified by winning the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup, while Vaishali Rameshbabu secured her spot as the winner of the 2025 FIDE Women's Grand Swiss. Notably, Indian veteran Humpy Koneru, who qualified as the runner-up of the 2025 Women's World Cup, withdrew from the tournament a week before its commencement, citing safety concerns in Cyprus related to the 2026 Iran war. She was subsequently replaced by Ukrainian Grandmaster Anna Muzychuk. Other prominent players in the Women's section include Zhu Jiner (China), Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE), Tan Zhongyi (China), and Kateryna Lagno (FIDE). As of March 31, 2026, the tournament is well underway. Round 1 commenced on March 29, followed by Round 2 on March 30, and Round 3 is currently in progress. Early results after Round 1 indicated Caruana, Praggnanandhaa, and Sindarov leading the Open section, while all games in the Women's section ended in draws. The event promises to be a captivating display of strategic brilliance and mental fortitude, as players vie for the ultimate right to challenge for the world championship crowns. The tournament's global significance is underlined by the diverse nationalities of its participants and the widespread live coverage provided by various chess platforms, including FIDE's official YouTube channel and ChessBase India, with expert commentary. The intense competition and high stakes make the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournaments a central highlight of the 2025-2026 World Championship cycle.

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