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Candidates Tournament 2026: World-Class Chess to be Hosted in Cyprus

Published February 25, 2026, 14:19
Candidates Tournament 2026: World-Class Chess to be Hosted in Cyprus

In 2026, Cyprus will host the Candidates Tournament for both men and women at the Cap St Georges Hotel near Paphos, from March 28th to April 16th. The tournament is a crucial stage in determining the challengers for the World Chess Championship and comes with a prize fund of one million euros. Eight chess players will qualify based on FIDE ratings, results from the World Cup and Grand Swiss, and Elo assessments. FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration with Freedom and emphasized the importance of the event for promoting chess and social improvement. The games will have a time control of two hours for the first 40 moves, half an hour until the end, and an additional 30 seconds per move from the 41st. Draws will not be allowed before the 41st move. Kriton Tornaritis, President of the Cyprus Chess Federation, described the event as a historic moment for chess in Cyprus, expecting it to enhance the island's international reputation and inspire a new generation of chess players. The winners of the tournament will compete for the title against the world champion Gukesh Dommaraju (India) and the world champion Ju Wenjun (China). Freedom24 CEO Evgenii Tiapkin stated that Cyprus offers an ideal combination of culture, history, and hospitality for hosting such an important event. The Candidates Tournament is expected to attract the attention of the global chess community and provide an excellent experience for players and spectators.