FIDE Candidates 2026: Format, time control in open and women’s categories; LIVE streaming info
The FIDE Candidates 2026 will tee off on Sunday in Cyprus, with the tournament set to determine the challengers for the world chess titles.
There are eight players each in both the open and women’s categories. India will have three representatives at the tournament. R Praggnanandhaa will be the sole Indian in the open category, while Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali will be the female representatives.
What is the format of Candidates 2026?
The Candidates 2026 tournament will be played in a double round-robin format. All players will play every other opponent in their category twice, once with black pieces and once with white. This means every player will play 14 rounds.
What is the point system for Candidates 2026?
In Candidates 2026, each win will gain a player a point and draw will be worth half a point. The final standings shall be determined by the number of points scored at the end of Round 14.
What is the time format for Candidates 2026?
In the open category, the time control for each game is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 41.
In the women’s category, the time control for each game is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1.
Where to watch Candidates 2026 live?
Candidates 2026 will be streamed LIVE on FIDE’s YouTube channel.
Published on Mar 29, 2026