World Chess Championship 2026

The World Chess Championship 2026 will be a chess match to determine the World Chess Champion. It will be played between the defending champion Gukesh Dommaraju and a challenger, who will be the winner of the Candidates Tournament 2026. The date and the host city are yet to be decided.

Candidates Tournament

The challenger will qualify by winning the Candidates Tournament 2026, which will be held at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus, between 28 March and 16 April.
The eight players to qualify to the Candidates Tournament will be:
Unlike any other Candidates Tournaments, and any FIDE World Championship cycle, there is no automatic spot for the runner-up of the previous Championship. To compensate, the 2024 championship will be considered an eligible tournament for the FIDE Circuit, with the runner-up obtaining special bonus points for the 2025 FIDE Circuit based on the score.