Nihal Sarin Wins Menorca Masters as Gukesh's Rough 2026 Continues - Plus Norway Chess Lineup Revealed
While the Candidates Tournament takes its final rest day in Cyprus, two stories emerged today that matter for the bigger picture: who will challenge for the World Championship, and what kind of champion will be waiting on the other side.
Nihal Sarin Takes the Menorca Masters
The 5th Menorca Open Masters wrapped up today in Ciutadella de Menorca, Spain, and it was India's Nihal Sarin who claimed the title with 6/10 in the 10-round rapid round-robin.
Nihal's victory was built on consistency. He took the lead early after beating Gukesh in Round 3 and never relinquished it. Former World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov finished second on 5.5/10, showing that the Ukrainian veteran still has plenty of fight at the rapid time control. Richard Rapport shared the 5.5 mark in third.
Final Standings:
| # | Player | Country | Points | |---|--------|---------|--------| | 1 | Nihal Sarin | India | 6/10 | | 2 | Ruslan Ponomariov | Ukraine | 5.5/10 | | 3 | Richard Rapport | Hungary | 5.5/10 | | 4 | Gukesh Dommaraju | India | 4.5/10 | | 5 | Leinier Dominguez Perez | USA | 4.5/10 | | 6 | Pentala Harikrishna | India | 4/10 |
Nihal earned €7,000 for his efforts. At 21, he is one of the most talented young players in the world, and a rapid title against a field that includes the reigning World Champion is a strong result by any measure.
Gukesh's Rough 2026
The bigger story is the man who finished fourth.
Gukesh Dommaraju, the reigning World Chess Champion, managed just 4.5/10 in Menorca. That included a loss to Nihal in Round 3 and another loss to Ponomariov in Round 7, where Gukesh made critical errors in a rook endgame under time pressure.
This is not an isolated result. Gukesh has had a rough start to 2026 by his own admission. He recently scaled back his tournament schedule, telling reporters he needs to "prioritize training before his title defense." The decision suggests he is aware that his current form is not where it needs to be.
For context: Javokhir Sindarov, the runaway leader of the Candidates Tournament, needs just half a point from his last two games to formally clinch the right to challenge Gukesh for the World Championship. That match is expected to take place later this year.
A Sindarov who just went 9/12 against the world's best facing a Gukesh who finished fourth in a six-player rapid is the kind of contrast that makes the chess world sit up and take notice. Of course, rapid form does not equal classical form, and Gukesh is the type of player who peaks when it matters most. He proved that in the 2024 World Championship match against Ding Liren. But the trend line is not encouraging, and he knows it.
Norway Chess 2026: The Next Big Stage
If Gukesh wants a tune-up before his title defense, he will get one. Norway Chess 2026 has announced its lineup, and it reads like a who's who of elite chess:
Open Event (May 25 - June 5, Oslo):
| Player | Country | Rating | World Rank | |--------|---------|--------|------------| | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2840 | #1 | | Vincent Keymer | Germany | 2775 | #4 | | Alireza Firouzja | France | 2759 | #7 | | Praggnanandhaa | India | 2758 | #8 | | Gukesh Dommaraju | India | 2754 | #9 | | Wesley So | USA | 2753 | #11 |
Women's Event:
| Player | Country | Rating | |--------|---------|--------| | Zhu Jiner | China | 2578 | | Ju Wenjun | China | 2559 | | Koneru Humpy | India | 2535 | | Anna Muzychuk | Ukraine | 2522 | | Bibisara Assaubayeva | Kazakhstan | 2497 | | Divya Deshmukh | USA | 2497 |
The tournament has moved from its traditional home in Stavanger to central Oslo, near the Opera House. The format remains the same: six players in a double round-robin (10 rounds), with Armageddon deciders after drawn classical games. The combined prize fund is 3.4 million Norwegian kroner (roughly $355,000), with equal prize money for the open and women's events.
The open field is exceptional. Carlsen versus Gukesh is the headline matchup, but Vincent Keymer has been in outstanding form this year, and Firouzja remains one of the most dangerous players in any tournament he enters. Praggnanandhaa will arrive straight from the Candidates, where he has had a difficult tournament at 5/12.
The women's lineup is equally striking. Three of the six players - Zhu Jiner, Muzychuk, and Assaubayeva - are currently fighting for the Women's Candidates title in Cyprus. Zhu Jiner leads on tiebreak heading into the final two rounds, and her inclusion in Norway Chess alongside former World Champion Ju Wenjun gives the event serious depth.
What It All Means
The chess calendar rarely slows down, and the stretch from now through June tells a clear story:
- April 14-15: Candidates Tournament final two rounds. Sindarov likely clinches. The women's race is a three-way fight between Zhu Jiner, Vaishali, and Assaubayeva.
- April 7-19: European Individual Championship continues in Katowice with 501 players.
- May 25 - June 5: Norway Chess in Oslo. Carlsen, Gukesh, and the rest of the world elite.
- Later 2026: World Championship match, almost certainly Sindarov vs. Gukesh.
For Gukesh, Norway Chess will be one of his last chances to test himself against top competition before the biggest match of his career. For Sindarov, once the Candidates is done, the preparation begins. The 20-year-old Uzbek prodigy will need to study the world champion's games in depth, and what he sees from Gukesh's 2026 form so far might give him confidence.
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