candidates 2026
24 articles
Candidates 2026 Round 14: Vaishali Wins Women's Title, Sindarov Finishes With Historic 10/14
R Vaishali beat Kateryna Lagno in the final round to win the 2026 Women's Candidates Tournament outright and earn a World Championship match against Ju Wenjun. In the Open section, Sindarov drew Wei Yi to finish on a record-breaking 10/14, while Giri took sole second place.
Candidates 2026 Round 13: Sindarov Clinches Title With Round to Spare
Javokhir Sindarov drew Anish Giri and clinched the 2026 Candidates Tournament with a round still to play, earning the right to challenge World Champion Gukesh later this year. The 20-year-old finished unbeaten with six wins and seven draws. In the Women's section, the picture flipped again: Goryachkina stunned Zhu Jiner, Assaubayeva beat Muzychuk, and now Vaishali and Assaubayeva share the lead going into tomorrow's final round.
Candidates 2026 Round 13 Preview: Sindarov Can Clinch Tomorrow Against Giri
Monday's penultimate round in Paphos features the game of the tournament: Giri vs Sindarov. The Uzbek phenom needs a single draw to clinch his World Championship match against Gukesh. In the Women's section, four players are separated by half a point with two rounds left. Here are the stakes for every board.
Candidates 2026 Round 13 Preview: Giri's Last Stand and a Four-Way Women's Thriller
Round 13 brings the matchup the entire tournament has been building towards: Anish Giri with the white pieces against Javokhir Sindarov. If the Uzbek prodigy draws, it is over. In the Women's section, four players are within half a point of first place and every game matters. Here is what to watch tomorrow.
Candidates 2026 Round 12: Vaishali Stunned by Zhu Jiner as Women's Race Explodes
The Open section produced another round of all draws as Sindarov cruised to a 34-move draw against Nakamura, needing just half a point from two games to clinch. But the Women's section delivered the drama of the entire tournament: Vaishali lost to Zhu Jiner with the white pieces in a Caro-Kann, dropping into a three-way tie at the top. Assaubayeva won to join the chase. Two rounds remain.
Candidates 2026 Round 11: Caruana Held to a Draw, Vaishali Smashes Goryachkina
All four games in the Open section ended in draws. Caruana, with the white pieces and his entire tournament on the line, could not break Javokhir Sindarov in a Catalan endgame. Sindarov keeps his two-point lead with three rounds to go and now needs just 1.5 from 3 to clinch the title outright. In the Women's section, Vaishali Rameshbabu beat Aleksandra Goryachkina with the black pieces to extend her sole lead to a full point.
Candidates 2026 Round 11 Preview: Caruana's Last Stand and the Math of a Sindarov Coronation
Round 11 of the 2026 Candidates kicks off Saturday with the most desperate man in the field holding the white pieces against the runaway leader. Fabiano Caruana plays Javokhir Sindarov in a game where one player needs to win and the other can already taste qualification. Plus the women's race, the qualification math, and what to actually watch for.
Candidates 2026 Rounds 9-10: Sindarov Sacrifices a Piece, Extends Lead to Two Points
Javokhir Sindarov now leads the 2026 Candidates by two full points with four rounds to play. After grinding out a crucial draw in Round 9, he smashed Praggnanandhaa with a piece sacrifice in Round 10 for his record-breaking sixth win. In the Women's section, Vaishali Rameshbabu has broken clear of the five-way tie and now leads alone.
Who Is Javokhir Sindarov? The 20-Year-Old From Tashkent About to Earn a Shot at Gukesh
He made grandmaster at 12. He won the World Cup at 19. He is now two points clear at his first Candidates Tournament with four rounds to go. On the rest day before the home stretch in Cyprus, here is the story of the Uzbek prodigy who is about to become Gukesh's next challenger.
'I Am Very Close to the Goal': What Sindarov Actually Said on the Rest Day Before Caruana
Most rest-day coverage of the 2026 Candidates leader has been other people talking about Javokhir Sindarov. On Friday in Pegeia, with Round 11 a day away, Sindarov sat down himself and answered questions in detail. He admitted he forgot his preparation in Round 10. He repeated his coach's quietly devastating advice. He said something about the next two games that nobody has picked up on. Here is what the 20-year-old leader actually said, in his own words.
Candidates 2026 Round 8: Nakamura Gets Revenge on Caruana, Five-Way Tie in Women's Section
Hikaru Nakamura finally gets his first win of the tournament by beating the man who crushed him in Round 1. Giri joins Caruana in shared second. And the Women's Candidates just became anyone's tournament with five players tied at 4.5/8.
Candidates 2026 Rounds 5-7: Sindarov Reaches Historic 6/7 at Halfway Mark
Javokhir Sindarov has put together the greatest first half in Candidates history. After beating Nakamura and Wei Yi and drawing only Giri, the 20-year-old leads Caruana by 1.5 points at 6/7. Nobody has ever done this before.
Candidates 2026 Round 5 Preview: Nakamura Gets His Shot at Sindarov
After a rest day, the Candidates resumes with the matchup everyone's been waiting for. World number one Hikaru Nakamura has White against runaway leader Javokhir Sindarov. Can anyone slow the 20-year-old down?
Caruana Beats Wei Yi in 19 Moves: A Candidates Miniature for the Ages
Wei Yi blundered with 17...Ne5?? and Caruana punished instantly. A 19-move win at the Candidates Tournament is almost unheard of - here's what happened and why.
Candidates 2026 Round 4: Sindarov Beats Caruana to Take Sole Lead
Javokhir Sindarov defeated co-leader Fabiano Caruana in the Round 4 clash to grab sole lead at 3.5/4. The 20-year-old Uzbek now has three wins in four rounds. Giri scored his first win, beating Esipenko.
Candidates 2026 Rounds 2-3: Caruana and Sindarov Pull Clear of the Field
After a quiet Round 2 of all draws, Round 3 delivered two knockouts. Caruana crushed Wei Yi in 19 moves and Sindarov sacrificed a piece to beat Praggnanandhaa. Both lead on 2.5/3.
Caruana Beats Nakamura in 80-Move Candidates Opener: What It Means for Both Players
Fabiano Caruana outlasted Hikaru Nakamura in a grueling 80-move endgame. One move changed everything - and may have shifted the entire tournament dynamic.
Candidates 2026 Round 1: Three Decisive Games Shake Up the Field
Caruana beats Nakamura in an 80-move marathon, Praggnanandhaa outprepares Giri, and Sindarov pulls off a dramatic swindle. Round 1 delivered.
Sindarov's Incredible Swindle: How the Candidates' Biggest Underdog Won While 'Sleeping'
Down to 6 minutes against Esipenko's 30, Sindarov thought he was losing. Then he pulled off one of the Candidates' great escapes. Welcome to the world top 10.
Candidates 2026: Everything You Need to Know - Format, Schedule, How to Watch
Complete guide to the 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. Format, schedule, streaming options, and what's at stake for all 8 players.
Who Will Challenge Gukesh? Candidates 2026 Predictions and Odds
Our predictions for all 8 Candidates. Who's the favorite, who's the dark horse, and who might surprise everyone in Cyprus?
The Underdogs: How Sindarov and Bluebaum Earned Their Candidates Spots
Uzbekistan's Sindarov won the World Cup at 19. Germany's Bluebaum qualified without a coach. Two unlikely stories from the 2026 Candidates.
Kasparov Says Classical Chess Died with Magnus - Is He Right?
Garry Kasparov claims the Candidates doesn't matter and classical chess ended with Magnus. We look at whether the 2026 field proves him wrong.
Candidates Tournament 2026: Eight Players, One Shot at the World Championship
The 2026 Candidates Tournament kicks off in Cyprus. Here's your guide to all 8 contenders vying to challenge World Champion Gukesh.