FIDE Candidates 2026

FIDE Candidates 2026: Women

WinnerGMRameshbabu VaishaliFinished first on 8½/14

Dates: 29 Mar – 15 Apr 2026
Location: Pegeia, Cyprus
Format: 8-player double round-robin
Time control: 90/40, 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.

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	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	½/1
1	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	½/1
1	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	½/1
1	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	½/1
1	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	½/1
1	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	½/1
1	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	½/1
1	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	½/1

After Round 2

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	1/2
1	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	1/2
1	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	1/2
1	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	1/2
1	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	1/2
1	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	1/2
1	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	1/2
1	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	1/2

After Round 3

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	2/3
1	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	2/3
3	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	1½/3
3	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	1½/3
3	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	1½/3
3	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	1½/3
7	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	1/3
7	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	1/3

After Round 4

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	2½/4
1	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	2½/4
3	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	2/4
3	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	2/4
3	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	2/4
3	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	2/4
7	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	1½/4
7	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	1½/4

After Round 5

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	3/5
1	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	3/5
1	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	3/5
4	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	2½/5
4	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	2½/5
6	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	2/5
6	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	2/5
6	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	2/5

After Round 6

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	4/6
2	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	3/6
2	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	3/6
2	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	3/6
2	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	3/6
2	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	3/6
7	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	2½/6
7	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	2½/6

After Round 7

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	4½/7
2	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	4/7
3	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	3½/7
3	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	3½/7
3	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	3½/7
3	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	3½/7
7	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	3/7
8	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	2½/7

After Round 8

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	4½/8
1	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	4½/8
1	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	4½/8
1	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	4½/8
1	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	4½/8
6	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	3½/8
6	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	3½/8
8	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	2½/8

After Round 9

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	5½/9
1	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	5½/9
3	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	5/9
4	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	4½/9
4	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	4½/9
6	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	4/9
6	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	4/9
8	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	3/9

After Round 10

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	6/10
2	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	5½/10
2	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	5½/10
4	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	5/10
4	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	5/10
4	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	5/10
7	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	4½/10
8	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	3½/10

After Round 11

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	7/11
2	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	6/11
2	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	6/11
4	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	5½/11
4	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	5½/11
6	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	5/11
6	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	5/11
8	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	4/11

After Round 12

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	7/12
1	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	7/12
3	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	6½/12
3	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	6½/12
5	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	5½/12
5	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	5½/12
7	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	5/12
7	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	5/12

After Round 13

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	–	7½/13
1	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	–	7½/13
3	GMZhu Jiner	2578	–	7/13
4	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	–	6½/13
4	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	–	6½/13
4	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	–	6½/13
7	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	–	5½/13
8	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	–	5/13

After Round 14

#	Player	Elo	Perf	Pts
1	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470	2607	8½/14
2	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516	2570	8/14
3	GMZhu Jiner	2578	2540	7½/14
4	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534	2547	7½/14
5	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522	2519	7/14
6	GMKateryna Lagno	2508	2492	6½/14
7	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497	2443	5½/14
8	GMTan Zhongyi	2535	2437	5½/14

Crosstable

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Pts
1	Vaishali		½½	00	½1	½½	11	½1	1½	8.5
2	Assaubayeva	½½		11	½½	½1	01	0½	½½	8
3	Zhu	11	00		½0	0½	½1	1½	½1	7.5
4	Goryachkina	½0	½½	½1		½½	½0	½1	½1	7.5
5	Muzychuk	½½	½0	1½	½½		1½	½0	½½	7
6	Lagno	00	10	½0	½1	0½		½1	1½	6.5
7	Deshmukh	½0	1½	0½	½0	½1	½0		½0	5.5
8	Tan	0½	½½	½0	½0	½½	0½	½1		5.5

Round 14 · 15 Apr

GMMuzychuk2522vsGMZhu2578½–½ GMGoryachkina2534vsGMTan25351–0 GMVaishali2470vsGMLagno25081–0 GMDeshmukh2497vsGMAssaubayeva2516½–½

Top 4 boards from each round.

8 players · average classical Elo 2520

#	Player	Elo
1	GMZhu Jiner	2578
2	GMTan Zhongyi	2535
3	GMAleksandra Goryachkina	2534
4	GMAnna Muzychuk	2522
5	GMBibisara Assaubayeva	2516
6	GMKateryna Lagno	2508
7	GMDivya Deshmukh	2497
8	GMRameshbabu Vaishali	2470

FIDE Candidates 2026

Tiebreaks

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