The FIDE World Cup is currently taking place in Goa, bringing together top chess players from around the world, including Levon Aronian and Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri.A humorous video has gone viral on social media, where players were asked about the location of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026.“Either in Saint-Louis or in Chennai,” said Levon.
“I am going to say that I am not sure. So I will probably blab it out,” said five-time world champion and FIDE deputy president Vishwanathan Anand.Various players offered different predictions. Arjun Erigiasi suggested Argentina, while Anish Giri and Ediz Gurel both mentioned London, with Giri claiming inside information.WATCH:MVL predicted Kazakhstan, and Faustino Oro named Poland. However, FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich later revealed that Cyprus would host both the 2026 Candidates and Women’s Candidates tournaments.The tournaments are scheduled to take place from March 28 to April 16, 2026, at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort near Paphos, on Cyprus’s south-western coast.The Indian chess federation (AICF) had expressed interest in hosting the prestigious event. The Women’s Candidates tournament winner will challenge China’s Ju Wenjun for the Women’s World Championship.Several players have already qualified for the Candidates tournament. These include Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Matthias Bluebaum, and Hikaru Nakamura.India’s R Praggnanandhaa is favoured to secure the 2025 FIDE Circuit topper’s position next month. The ongoing FIDE World Cup will provide three more spots for the Candidates.Five Indian players, including Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and Pentala Harikrishna, remain among the 32 contestants competing for these three positions in Goa.In the women’s category, Indian players Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy have secured their spots in the Women’s Candidates tournament through the FIDE Women’s World Cup.“The Candidates Tournament is the final and hardest test for any chess player wishing to take on a world champion in a match for the title, and it is the most difficult hurdle in the world championship cycle,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, noting Cyprus’s previous experience hosting FIDE Women’s Grand Prix events twice.
