tournament
27 articles
Chess.com Open 2026: Carlsen, Sindarov, and 14 More Battle for $234K and Esports World Cup Spots
The Chess.com Open playoffs kick off April 23 with a stacked 16-player field. Sindarov plays his first event since winning the Candidates. Carlsen headlines. Top 3 qualify for the $1.5M Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
European Championship Finale: Three Players Tied at 8/10 Going Into the Last Round in Katowice
David Anton Guijarro, Nijat Abasov, and Aydin Suleymanli head into the final round of the 2026 European Individual Championship all tied on 8/10. Twenty World Cup spots are on the line. The tournament that started with a bloodbath at the top ends with a three-way sprint.
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.
Nihal Sarin Wins Menorca Masters as Gukesh's Rough 2026 Continues - Plus Norway Chess Lineup Revealed
Nihal Sarin won the Menorca Masters with 6/10, finishing ahead of former world champion Ponomariov and World Champion Gukesh, who managed just 4.5/10. Meanwhile, Norway Chess announced a stacked lineup for May: Carlsen, Gukesh, Keymer, Firouzja, Pragg, and Wesley So. The World Champion's form heading into his title defense is a growing concern.
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.
Jynxzi Wins PogChamps 6 & 7: Sub-700 To Champion In One Day, Undefeated
The headline pick lived up to it. Jynxzi swept Group A 6-0, dropped exactly half a point in the semifinal, and beat ohnePixel 2-0 in the grand final to take PogChamps 6 & 7 and the $100,000 top prize. He played 13 games and lost zero of them. Levy Rozman called it the greatest chess tournament of all time. The 200,000 concurrent viewers watching the broadcast might agree.
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.
While the Candidates Sleeps: The European Championship Is Eating Top Seeds Alive in Katowice
The 2026 European Individual Chess Championship has 501 players, 43 federations, and a €100,000 prize fund. It also has a body count. By Round 3, the top seed had been knocked off by an IM rated 240 points lower, and the third seed had blundered his way into a loss. Here is what is going on in Katowice while everyone watches Cyprus.
PogChamps 6 & 7 Goes Off Today: Eight Streamers, $100K, No Safety Net
Chess.com's flagship creator event returns Friday April 10 with a one-day format, a $100,000 prize pool, and a brutal new wrinkle: there is no Consolation Bracket. Eight of the biggest streamers on the internet, including Jynxzi (coached by Levy Rozman), ohnePixel, and Agent00, will play group stage chess and then go straight into single-elimination with their tournament on the line.
'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.
Keymer Wins Grenke Freestyle Open on Tiebreak Over MVL - Carlsen and Niemann Fall Short
Vincent Keymer edges out Maxime Vachier-Lagrave on tiebreak to win the Grenke Freestyle Open with 7.5/9. The 21-year-old German earns €60,000 and a spot in the 2027 Freestyle World Championship. Carlsen finishes tied third.
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.
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.