FIDE Candidates 2026

FIDE Candidates 2026: Open

WinnerGMJavokhir SindarovFinished first on 10/14

Dates: 29 Mar – 15 Apr 2026
Location: Pegeia, Cyprus
Format: 8-player double round-robin
Time control: 120/40, 30+30

About this event

The 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament and the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament form the final qualifying stage of the FIDE World Championship cycle.

Each tournament features eight of the world’s strongest players competing in a double round-robin format over fourteen rounds of classical chess.

At the conclusion of the events, the winners secure the right to challenge for the FIDE World Chess Championship and FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship titles.

Watch Lichess' interviews at the Candidates on YouTube, and read our game annotations by GM Axel Bachmann, GM Maksim Chigaev, WGM Petra Papp, IM Lilit Mkrtchian, and WGM Ekaterina Atalik.

Tiebreaks

Stage I
- 2 players: 2-game match, 15+10 time control.
- 3–6 players: round robin, 15+10.
- 7–8 players: round robin, 10+5.
Stage II (if still tied)
- 2 players: 2-game match, 3+2.
- More than 2 players: round robin, 3+2.
Stage III (if still tied)
- Knockout, 1 game at 3+2.
- If drawn: replay with reversed colors.
- If still drawn, sudden death: White 4+2, Black bids time ≤4 minutes. Black wins if game is drawn.

After Round 1

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	1/1
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	1/1
1	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	1/1
4	GMWei Yi	2754	–	½/1
4	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	½/1
6	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	0/1
6	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	0/1
6	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	0/1

After Round 2

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	1½/2
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	1½/2
1	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	1½/2
4	GMWei Yi	2754	–	1/2
4	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	1/2
6	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	½/2
6	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	½/2
6	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	½/2

After Round 3

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	2½/3
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	2½/3
3	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	1½/3
3	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	1½/3
5	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	1/3
5	GMWei Yi	2754	–	1/3
5	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	1/3
5	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	1/3

After Round 4

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	3½/4
2	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	2½/4
3	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	2/4
3	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	2/4
3	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	2/4
6	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	1½/4
6	GMWei Yi	2754	–	1½/4
8	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	1/4

After Round 5

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	4½/5
2	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	3½/5
3	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	2½/5
3	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	2½/5
5	GMWei Yi	2754	–	2/5
5	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	2/5
7	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	1½/5
7	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	1½/5

After Round 6

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	5½/6
2	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	4/6
3	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	3/6
3	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	3/6
5	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	2½/6
6	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	2/6
6	GMWei Yi	2754	–	2/6
6	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	2/6

After Round 7

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	6/7
2	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	4½/7
3	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	3½/7
3	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	3½/7
5	GMWei Yi	2754	–	3/7
5	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	3/7
7	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	2½/7
8	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	2/7

After Round 8

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	6½/8
2	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	4½/8
2	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	4½/8
4	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	3½/8
4	GMWei Yi	2754	–	3½/8
4	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	3½/8
4	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	3½/8
8	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	2½/8

After Round 9

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	7/9
2	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	5½/9
3	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	4½/9
4	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	4/9
4	GMWei Yi	2754	–	4/9
4	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	4/9
4	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	4/9
8	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	3/9

After Round 10

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	8/10
2	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	6/10
3	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	5/10
4	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	4½/10
4	GMWei Yi	2754	–	4½/10
4	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	4½/10
7	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	4/10
8	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	3½/10

After Round 11

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	8½/11
2	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	6½/11
3	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	5½/11
4	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	5/11
4	GMWei Yi	2754	–	5/11
4	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	5/11
7	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	4½/11
8	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	4/11

After Round 12

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	9/12
2	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	7/12
3	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	6/12
4	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	5½/12
4	GMWei Yi	2754	–	5½/12
4	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	5½/12
7	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	5/12
8	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	4½/12

After Round 13

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	–	9½/13
2	GMAnish Giri	2753	–	7½/13
3	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	–	6½/13
3	GMWei Yi	2754	–	6½/13
5	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	–	6/13
5	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	–	6/13
7	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	–	5½/13
8	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	–	4½/13

After Round 14

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745	2907	10/14
2	GMAnish Giri	2753	2828	8½/14
3	GMFabiano Caruana	2795	2771	7½/14
4	GMWei Yi	2754	2748	7/14
5	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810	2711	6½/14
6	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698	2706	6/14
7	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741	2700	6/14
8	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698	2623	4½/14

Crosstable

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Pts
1	Sindarov		½½	1½	1½	1½	½½	11	1½	10
2	Giri	½½		½1	½½	½½	½1	01	1½	8.5
3	Caruana	0½	½0		1½	10	1½	½½	½1	7.5
4	Wei	0½	½½	0½		½½	½½	½½	11	7
5	Nakamura	0½	½½	01	½½		½½	½½	½½	6.5
6	Bluebaum	½½	½0	0½	½½	½½		½½	½½	6
7	Pragg.	00	10	½½	½½	½½	½½		½½	6
8	Esipenko	0½	0½	½0	00	½½	½½	½½		4.5

8 players · average classical Elo 2749

#	Player	Elo
1	GMHikaru Nakamura	2810
2	GMFabiano Caruana	2795
3	GMWei Yi	2754
4	GMAnish Giri	2753
5	GMJavokhir Sindarov	2745
6	GMPraggnanandhaa R	2741
7	GMMatthias Bluebaum	2698
8	GMAndrey Esipenko	2698

Times are local to Pegeia

Sun 29 Mar15:45Round 1Finished

Mon 30 Mar15:45Round 2Finished

Tue 31 Mar15:45Round 3Finished

Wed 1 Apr15:45Round 4Finished

Fri 3 Apr15:45Round 5Finished

Sat 4 Apr15:45Round 6Finished

Sun 5 Apr15:45Round 7Finished

Tue 7 Apr15:45Round 8Finished

Wed 8 Apr15:45Round 9Finished

Thu 9 Apr15:45Round 10Finished

Sat 11 Apr15:45Round 11Finished

Sun 12 Apr15:45Round 12Finished

Tue 14 Apr15:45Round 13Finished

Wed 15 Apr15:45Round 14Finished

FIDE Candidates 2026

Tiebreaks

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