ChessBase India

The FIDE Candidates and Women's Candidates Tournament 2026 will take place together at Cyprus from 28th March-16th April. There will be 4 Indian players going to Cyprus - R. Praggnanandhaa, Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy and R. Vaishali.

For the second time in a row, siblings Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali will play the Candidates tournament together! The field of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 is all but decided. Here's how it looks:

1. Fabiano Caruana (2024 FIDE Circuit)
2. Javokhir Sindarov (2025 World Cup Champion)
3. Wei Yi (2025 World Cup Runner-up)
4. Andrey Esipenko (2025 World Cup 3rd place)
5. Anish Giri (2025 FIDE Grand Swiss Champion)
6. Matthias Bluebaum (2025 FIDE Grand Swiss 2nd)
7. R.Praggnanandhaa (2025 FIDE Circuit)
8. Hikaru Nakamura* ( Almost certain to grab the rating spot)

The winner of this double round robin tournament will challenge World Champion Gukesh!

For the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026, this is how the field looks like:

1. Zhu Jiner (2024-25 Women's Grand Prix 1st)
2. Aleksandra Goryachkina (2024-25 Women's Grand Prix 2nd)
3. Divya Deshmukh (Women's World Cup 2025 Champion)
4. Koneru Humpy (Women's World Cup 2025 Runner-up)
5. Tan Zhongyi (Women's World Cup 2025 3rd place)
6. R. Vaishali (FIDE Women's Grand Swiss 2025 Champion)
7. Kateryna Lagno (FIDE Women's Grand Swiss 2025 Runner-up)
8. FIDE Women's events 2024-25 Champion (Player not determined yet)

The winner of this event will take on Ju Wenjun in the World Championship match.

How do you think the 4 Indians will fare in Cyprus? Let us know in the comments.

Photos: Michal Walusza, Anna Shtourman

#chess #chessbaseindia #candidates

6 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 4,531

ChessBase India

It's OFFICIAL! - Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has topped the FIDE Circuit 2025, qualifying to the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026!

Pragg has 115.17 FIDE Circuit points in what was a year of dominating performances for him! His nearest competitor who hasn't qualified yet was Nodirbek Abdusattorov with 71.61 points. FIDE has determined that it's not mathematically possible for Nodirbek to surmount this lead - hence they announced the news!

Huge congratulations to Pragg on qualifying for the Candidates for the second time. He will be the only Indian player in the FIDE Candidates Tournament this year, while 3 Indian Women - Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, and Vaishali Rameshbabu will play the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament. Both the tournaments are happening together just like 2024 - this time in Cyprus from 28th March-16th April!


Graphic: Anmol Bhargav
#chess #chessbaseindia #praggnanandhaa

1 week ago | [YT] | 8,340

ChessBase India

The ChessBase India Wrapped is here! These are the most featured players on our feed this year. We really tried the “less screen time” rule, but the games were too good to look away from. Zero regrets though! Now tell us, who kept you glued to the screen?

#chess #chessbaseindia

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1 week ago | [YT] | 3,233

ChessBase India

Hi dear ChessBase India YouTube community!

Remember there is a join button on our channel? This is the button to become a member on our channel. This join button has been a very important part of our channel's journey.

In the year 2024-25 (1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025), we have had a total of Rs.853,622.7 raised via YouTube memberships of ChessBase India.

We gave 9 laptops to some of the best talents in the country to further their goal of becoming a strong chess player. These laptops have been carefully chosen by consulting an expert in the domain of chess and laptops.

This, dear members, would never have been possible without your generosity. Our aim is to empower the Indian chess ecosystem and your support towards this place a very crucial role.

Thank you so much once again from the bottom of our hearts!

You can read about the entire initiative here: www.chessbase.in/news/9-young-talents-receive-lapt…

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1,639

ChessBase India

Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov has created history. He has defeated GM Wei Yi in the finals of the FIDE World Cup to become the youngest ever Champion of FIDE World Cup!

Both the classical games ended in a draw- Sindarov won the decider game with the Black pieces in Game 2 of 15+10 Rapid and became the Champion. What an outstanding performance by the Uzbekistan no.2 player!

A huge congratulations to Sindarov, his team and his second GM Mukkhidin Madaminov on this outstanding success. He wins 120,000 dollars on becoming the FIDE World Cup 2025 Champion - and he has qualified for the Candidates Tournament 2026!

Javokhir reached home today in Uzbekistan and was greeted to a rousing welcome! The 19-year-old Uzbek received US$10,000 from the Uzbekistan Government along with 3 room apartment and a status with medal named the national sportsman of the country!

Photos: Anmol Bhargav and Michal Walusza

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 6,510

ChessBase India

The FIDE Candidates list for 2026 is almost ready!
1. Hikaru Nakamura (2811) - World no.2
2. Fabiano Caruana (2795) - World no.3
*3. R. Praggnanandhaa (2761) - World no.7
4. Anish Giri (2760) - World no.8
5. Wei Yi (2755) - World no.9
6. Javokhir Sindarov (2726) - World no.22
7. Andrey Esipenko - (2686) - World no.34
8. Matthias Bluebaum (2679) - World no.43

* Pragg's qualification will be decided on 31st of December if he remains on top of the FIDE Circuit Leaderboard.

The winner of this tournament will take on D. Gukesh in the World Championship Match in 2026 for the world chess crown. Candidates 2026 will take place in Cyprus from 28th of March to 16th of April 2026. What are your feelings about this Candidates and who are you rooting for?

#chess #chessbaseindia #fidecandidates2026

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 3,066

ChessBase India

We have two Candidates confirmed at the FIDE World Cup 2025 - Javokhir Sindarov 🇺🇿 and Wei Yi 🇨🇳! In the semifinals tiebreaks today, Javokhir Sindarov defeated Nodirbek Yakubboev 1.5-0.5 - while Wei Yi took down Andrey Esipenko 1.5-0.5 as well!

It will be Sindarov vs Wei Yi in the finals of the World Cup tomorrow. Esipenko will face off against Yakubboev in a very important match as well for the 3rd place - the final Candidate will be determined there!

#chess #ChessBaseIndia #FIDEWorldCup2025 #uzbekistan #China

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 3,234

ChessBase India

In 2023 we got a beautiful picture from the FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan where Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi were going on walks with each other. It was such a beautiful friendship that the two shared with each other off the board, that even during an intense Quarter Final against each other, they would walk on the Baku Boulevard together. This moment was wonderfully captured by Irene Sukandar.

Fast Forward to 2 years, both Pragg and Arjun have become two of the absolute best players in the world and are fighting for the top spot at the FIDE World Cup 2025. What do they do after winning their respective round 3 encounters? Of course, they go for a walk together! So many things in the world of chess have changed over the past couple of years, but the friendship of Arjun and Pragg has remained constant! Amruta Mokal captured this picture of Arjun and Pragg walking with each other in Goa!

1 month ago | [YT] | 5,877

ChessBase India

The commentary panel for FIDE World Cup 2025! ChessBase India and Chesscom India commentators have come together to create that one broadcast which will give the Indian fans the ultimate chess experience!

We have created a fanzone right next to the venue in Goa where there are seats for more than 150 people to come and enjoy daily commentary LIVE and interact with the commentators and have a wonderful time!

Tania Sachdev, Amruta Mokal, Harshit Raja, Sahaj Grover, Sahil Tickoo and Sagar Shah is the panel! We hope you will visit us in Resort Rio in Goa! And if you can't, then you can follow all the action on the ChessBase India and Chess24 India YouTube channel! 😍

#chess #chessbaseindia #chesscomindia #fideworldcup

1 month ago | [YT] | 4,034