The field for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 is practically set. After the Chess World Cup in Goa, three players Andrey Esipenko, Wei Yi, and Javokhir Sindarov earned their spots by finishing in the top three. With the two rating spots expected to go to Hikaru Nakamura and R. Praggnanandhaa, the eight-player lineup is now clear ahead of the tournament in Cyprus (March 28–April 16, 2026).
Simple summary: who qualified and how
- World Cup qualifiers (Goa, 2025): Wei Yi, Javokhir Sindarov, Andrey Esipenko.
These three reached the semifinal and third-place matches in the World Cup, which awarded three Candidates spots. - Grand Swiss qualifiers: Anish Giri and Matthias Blübaum qualified through the 2025 Grand Swiss.
- FIDE Circuit winner: Fabiano Caruana earned a spot by topping the 2024–25 FIDE Circuit.
- Likely rating qualifiers: Hikaru Nakamura and R. Praggnanandhaa are expected to take the rating-based places because their rating averages over the qualifying period are high enough.
| Player | Country | Rating (Nov 2025) | Qualification Path |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabiano Caruana | United States | 2795 | Winner – 2024 FIDE Circuit |
| Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2769 | Winner – 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss |
| Matthias Blübaum | Germany | 2680 | Runner-up – 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss |
| Wei Yi | China | 2752 | Top 3 – 2025 FIDE World Cup |
| Javokhir Sindarov | Uzbekistan | 2721 | Top 3 – 2025 FIDE World Cup |
| Andrey Esipenko | FIDE | 2681 | Third place – 2025 FIDE World Cup |
| Hikaru Nakamura | United States | ~2810 avg | Likely Rating Qualifier (99%) |
| R. Praggnanandhaa | India | ~2775 avg | Likely Rating Qualifier (99%) |
Why the World Cup mattered
The World Cup is a knockout event where the top three finishers win Candidate spots. Wei Yi and Sindarov reached the final there, while Esipenko won the third-place match. That means all three earned direct tickets to the Candidates. For Esipenko, the third-place win was especially important. It turned a strong World Cup run into a real chance to fight for the world title next year.
What the Candidates look like
The Candidates is an eight-player, double round-robin: every player faces every other player twice (once with white, once with black). There are 14 rounds in total. The winner of the Candidates earns the right to challenge the world champion, Gukesh Dommaraju, for the World Chess Championship 2026.
Time controls and tiebreak rules are standard for the cycle: long classical games, then rapid and blitz tiebreaks if needed. This format rewards consistent classical strength, not just short bursts of form.
Key storylines to watch
- Can World Cup form carry over? Wei Yi and Sindarov arrive at the Candidates with big wins behind them. The question is whether that momentum will hold up in a long classical event.
- Esipenko’s breakthrough: Winning the third-place match gave Esipenko his Candidates ticket. This is a major milestone and could be a springboard to top-level results.
- Nakamura and Praggnanandhaa: Both are expected to take the rating spots. Nakamura’s path stirred debate because he boosted his rating by playing many local events; Praggnanandhaa has been steadily climbing and is now a regular contender for top events.
- Veterans vs. rising stars: The mix of established names and younger challengers promises clash of styles — experience and opening knowledge versus energy and fresh ideas.
Why this matters
The Candidates is the direct gateway to a World Championship match. Whoever wins in Cyprus will get the chance to play Gukesh for the title. With the field now nearly complete, players can focus on months of preparation, and fans can start making plans for one of the biggest events on the chess calendar.
Notable absentees: who’s missing from the Candidates field
Even with eight names nearly set, several big names are noticeably absent from the Candidates picture, and each absence reshapes the storylines for 2026.
Magnus Carlsen: stepped away by choice
Magnus Carlsen has made it clear he’s no longer focused on the classical world championship cycle and has repeatedly ruled out defending or returning to the title match. His decision to step back from that specific prize has left a vacuum at the very top: the field now looks more open without the five-time champion in the mix.
Arjun Erigaisi: close but unlucky
Arjun Erigaisi sits among the world’s elite but has been one of those players who repeatedly comes up just short when a Candidates spot is at stake. Despite being one of the highest-rated players, Erigaisi has suffered a string of near-misses in qualifying events — most recently falling short at the World Cup — which means he remains a notable omission from the Cyprus line-up.
Vincent Keymer: on the rise, not quite there
Vincent Keymer has enjoyed a breakout 2025 and climbed into the global top five, marking a rapid rise in form and reputation. That surge made him a watchlist player for Candidates qualification, but it wasn’t enough this cycle: he’s a rising star who still just missed the final eight. His emergence, though, makes him someone to watch for 2026–27.
Alireza Firouzja: a surprising absence
Alireza Firouzja’s name was conspicuously absent from the World Cup start list, and his non-participation — coupled with a narrow miss at the Grand Swiss earlier in 2025 — all but ended his realistic path to the Candidates this time. Firouzja’s absence surprised many observers and likely closed one of the more dramatic storylines that could have altered the field.
Ding Liren: largely out of the cycle for now
Ding Liren, a former world champion, has not been an active presence in this qualification cycle and has stepped back from the kinds of events that would put him on the Candidates list. Health and motivation have been factors in his reduced activity in recent seasons, leaving him effectively out of contention for 2026.
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