R. Praggnanandhaa has officially qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament by winning the FIDE Circuit 2025. The Chennai-based Grandmaster topped the leaderboard with 115.17 points, confirming his status as the only Indian man to compete in next year’s event; a shift from the 2024 edition which featured three Indian male contenders.
The tournament is scheduled to run from March 28 to April 16, 2026, at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus. FIDE confirmed the news on social media, stating, “Praggnanandhaa R. has won the FIDE Circuit 2025, securing a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament! Congratulations to @rpraggnachess, who deservedly earned one of the eight slots.”
The 20-year-old’s path to qualification was defined by a prolific season, claiming titles at the Tata Steel Masters, Superbet Chess Classic Romania, and the UzChess Cup Masters. However, his spot was solidified only after a last-minute decision to play in the London Chess Classic Open following an early exit from the FIDE World Cup in Goa. This was a strategic move to maintain his lead over Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Pragg tied for first in the London Open, scoring 7/9 and gaining enough circuit points to make Abdusattorov's results in the elite section irrelevant. “A long year on the FIDE Circuit, and I’m grateful to earn a place in the 2026 Candidates. Thank you for all the constant support,” Pragg wrote on X.
Praggnanandhaa joins a confirmed field that includes Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Matthias Bluebaum, Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi, and Andrey Esipenko. The winner of this eight-player double round-robin will challenge the reigning World Champion, Gukesh Domaraju, for the title later in 2026.
Only one spot remains in the Candidates line-up, which will be awarded to the player with the highest six-month average rating between August 2025 and January 2026. Current standings suggest American GM Hikaru Nakamura is likely to claim this final position, provided he meets the minimum game requirements outlined in FIDE’s handbook.
While Praggnanandhaa will be the sole Indian representation in the Open category, the concurrent Women’s Candidates Tournament in Cyprus will feature a strong Indian contingent. Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, and R. Vaishali have all qualified, meaning Praggnanandhaa and his sister Vaishali will once again compete at the same venue for their respective world championship chances.
