Praggnanandhaa qualified for the 2026 Candidates Chess Tournament

Indian chess sensation Praggnanandhaa has achieved another major milestone by qualifying for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. His victory in the FIDE Circuit Tournament secured him this prestigious spot. He will be the only Indian player competing in the Open category.

Praggnanandhaa has been in exceptional form this season, winning titles at the Tata Steel Masters, Superbet Classic, Uz Cup, and London Classic tournaments. He also finished as runner-up at the Sinquefield Cup, further strengthening his international standing.

The Candidates Tournament will feature eight players. The qualifiers so far include
Anish Giri, Fabiano Caruana, Matthias Bluebaum, Sindarov, Wei Yi, Andrey Esipenko, and now Praggnanandhaa.

The final eighth spot will be awarded based on the average FIDE rating between August 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026. American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura is seen as a strong contender for this slot.

In the women's section, India already shines with Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, and Vaishali qualifying for the Women’s Candidates Tournament.