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With the Candidates Chess 2026 starting this week in Paphsos, Cyprus, tension around the tournament is rising. At stake is not only the challenger’s spot, but also the smooth running of the tournament.

Candidates Chess 2026 takes place in Paphos, Cyprus, from 28 March to 16 April 2026. It is an eight-player double round-robin, meaning each participant plays every other player twice (14 rounds total).

Participants include Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, R Praggnanandhaa, Anish Giri, Wei Yi, Andrey Esipenko, Javokhir Sindarov, and Matthias Blübaum. Live games start with round 1 on March 29th. The final round is April 16th.

For years, the top tier of computer chess has been defined by a familiar rivalry: Stockfish versus Leela Chess Zero. But in a dramatic and unexpected turn, that era has just been disrupted.

For the first time in many seasons, the prestigious Top Chess Engine Championship Superfinal will not feature the long-standing clash between those two giants. Instead, a new contender, Reckless, has surged into the spotlight, setting up a headline-grabbing final against the reigning powerhouse Stockfish.

The 41st European Chess Club Cup and the 30th European Chess Club Cup for Women will be played in Hotel “Medun” 4+*, in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, from 16th October to 24th October 2026.

Replay: European Chess Club Cup 2025 / European Women Chess Club Cup 2025

The event is open to:

Humpy Koneru made her final decision to withdraw from the Candidates 2026 today, “After deep reflection, I have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament. No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety and well-being. Despite the assurances provided, I do not feel fully secure under the current circumstances. This is a painful but necessary decision, and I stand by it.”

Humpy Koneru announced her decision to withdraw from the Women Candidates 2026 which was followed by a wave of reactions and doubts regarding the whole state of the Candidates Chess 2026. The main question in the air is whether FIDE has a plan in case of an emergency situation in Cyprus. For now, no such plan is made public.

Chess Party in Stockholm 2026 is a two-day chess festival at Avicii Arena, April 17th & 18th, bringing chess to the people where absolutely everyone is invited – from new beginners to experienced players, Grand Masters, Super GM’s and people just interested and curious about chess wanting to see and learn how to play in a fun way. Children, youngsters, families and adults and participants from all over the world are more than welcome.

Humpy Koneru made her final decision to withdraw from the Candidates 2026 today, “After deep reflection, I have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament. No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety and well-being. Despite the assurances provided, I do not feel fully secure under the current circumstances. This is a painful but necessary decision, and I stand by it.”

Humpy Koneru withdrew from the Candidates Chess 2026 in Cyprus over Iran-Israel-USA war safety concerns. Earlier this week she stated for HT, “It just doesn’t make any sense. It’s dangerous to travel anywhere near West Asia at this point when there’s so much tension and uncertainty. The war started around a fortnight ago, it’s still ongoing and the tournament is less than two weeks away. I don’t think any official body would dare host an event in the region at this point.”

The Prague International Chess Festival 2026 will take place from February 25 to March 06 in Prague, Czech Republic. This tournament has 4 categories – Masters, Challengers, Futures, and Open. The Open section is a 9-round Swiss system tournament with a time control of 90 min/40 moves +30 min + 30 sec/move. For more events from the Czech Republic, check out The European Chess Calendar, which is part of The Chess Calendar.