FIDE has introduced a series of changes to the qualification routes that will be in force for the 2026 FIDE Candidates’ Tournament. In particular, the loser of the World Championship match is no longer automatically qualified for the Candidates’ Tournament.
These changes are intended to improve the competitive landscape, encourage player participation and ensure fair representation of the best candidates. These changes will have an impact on the selection process through several channels. The main changes and new qualification routes for the 2026 Candidates Tournament are described below.
Non-qualification of the loser of the World Championship match
The World Championship runner-up will no longer automatically earn a place in the next Candidates’ Tournament. They will now have to go through the qualification process.
To compensate for this change, the 2024 World Championship Match is also recognized as an eligible tournament for the FIDE circuit and the finalist will receive special bonus points for playing the match. The points they earn in the World Championship Match will be calculated according to their performance. This means that the points earned for the FIDE circuit will depend on the score of the match. If the match is lost in the tie-breaks, the finalist will get more points than if he loses in the standard part of the match with rounds to spare.
A place for the best Elo
The World Championship runner-up no longer automatically earns a place in the next Candidates’ Tournament. They will now have to go through the qualification process.
To compensate for this change, the 2024 World Championship Match is recognized as an eligible tournament for the FIDE circuit and the unlucky finalist will receive special bonus points, calculated according to his performance in this match. This means that the points earned for the FIDE circuit will depend on the score of the match. If the match is lost in the tie-breaks, the finalist will get more points than if he loses in the standard part of the match.
FIDE Circuit – 2 spots
Two spots on the FIDE Circuit – one for 2024 and the other for 2025 – will serve as qualifying lanes for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
The final score will be the sum of a player’s highest scores, but no more than seven tournaments. For reference, the score calculation for the 2024 Circuit was based on five results.
Other important changes in the FIDE Circuit rules:
- for open tournaments, points are only awarded to the first three places,
- a new bonus for first place in solo competition has been added,
- an unlimited number of tournaments in the same country is allowed if the average ranking of the first eight players in each event is equal to or higher than 2650.
Organizers of events taking place after July 1, 2024 must inform the FIDE General Secretary at least three months in advance.
3 places at the 2025 World Cup
The FIDE World Cup 2025 will offer three qualifying places to players finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
2 places via the FIDE Grand Swiss
The FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament will offer two qualifying places for the Candidates Tournament, for players finishing 1st and 2nd.
This table highlights the difference between the current and the new qualification system for the Candidates Tournament:
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The 2026 FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament will see the eight players qualify through separate routes, emphasizing diversity and fairness, ensuring a competitive and merit-based selection process.
Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President, explains:
These changes have been carefully considered, taking into account all the important factors, with the aim of making the qualification process more attractive and fairer. This reflects FIDE’s commitment to evolving and refining the qualification process, promoting a dynamic and competitive environment for chess.
As the chess community looks forward to the Candidates Tournament in Toronto, the changes to the 2026 event should mark a new era in the World Chess Champion designation process.
