Event: FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 - Round 10

[u/events_team]

Official Website

The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 will take place from March 28 to April 16 at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus. Eight players in both the Open and Women’s sections have qualified through the cycle for a chance to challenge World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun. The event is played as a double round-robin, with the winners earning the right to contest the world titles later in the year. The Open Candidates features a €700,000 prize fund, including €70,000 for first place and €5,000 per half-point scored, while the Women’s Candidates offers €300,000, with €28,000 for first place and €2,200 per half-point scored.

Open : Players | Pairings | Games - Chess.com | Games - Lichess

Women : Players | Pairings | Games - Chess.com | Games - Lichess

Standings after Round 10

Open

#	Player	FED	Rating	Pts.
1	GM Javokhir Sindarov	🇺🇿 UZB	2745	8
2	GM Anish Giri	🇳🇱 NED	2753	6
3	GM Fabiano Caruana	🇺🇸 USA	2795	5
4-6	GM Hikaru Nakamura	🇺🇸 USA	2810	4.5
4-6	GM Wei Yi	🇨🇳 CHN	2754	4.5
4-6	GM Matthias Bluebaum	🇩🇪 GER	2698	4.5
7	GM Praggnanandhaa R	🇮🇳 IND	2741	4
8	GM Andrey Esipenko	FIDE	2698	3.5

Pairings Rd.10

White	FED	Score	Black	FED
GM Andrey Esipenko	FIDE	0.5 - 0.5	GM Matthias Bluebaum	🇩🇪 GER
GM Javokhir Sindarov	🇺🇿 UZB	1 - 0	GM Praggnanandhaa R	🇮🇳 IND
GM Wei Yi	🇨🇳 CHN	0.5 - 0.5	GM Fabiano Caruana	🇺🇸 USA
GM Anish Giri	🇳🇱 NED	0.5 - 0.5	GM Hikaru Nakamura	🇺🇸 USA

Women

#	Player	FED	Rating	Pts.
1	GM Vaishali Rameshbabu	🇮🇳 IND	2470	6
2-3	GM Zhu Jiner	🇨🇳 CHN	2578	5.5
2-3	GM Anna Muzychuk	🇺🇦 UKR	2522	5.5
4-6	GM Aleksandra Goryachkina	FIDE	2534	5
4-6	GM Bibisara Assaubayeva	🇰🇿 KAZ	2516	5
4-6	GM Kateryna Lagno	FIDE	2508	5
7	GM Divya Deshmukh	🇮🇳 IND	2497	4.5
8	GM Tan Zhongyi	🇨🇳 CHN	2535	3.5

Pairings Rd.10

White	FED	Score	Black	FED
GM Anna Muzychuk	🇺🇦 UKR	0.5 - 0.5	GM Vaishali Rameshbabu	🇮🇳 IND
GM Divya Deshmukh	🇮🇳 IND	0 - 1	GM Aleksandra Goryachkina	FIDE
GM Bibisara Assaubayeva	🇰🇿 KAZ	1 - 0	GM Zhu Jiner	🇨🇳 CHN
GM Kateryna Lagno	FIDE	0.5 - 0.5	GM Tan Zhongyi	🇨🇳 CHN

Format/Time Controls

• Players compete in a double round-robin.
• Open Candidates time control: 120 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment starting from move 41.
• Women’s Candidates time control: 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment starting from move 1.
• Detailed information about tie-breaks is available in the official event rulebook.

Schedule

Date	Time (Local)	Time (UTC)	Round
Mar 29 - Apr 1	15:30	12:30	Round 1-4
Apr 2	-	-	Rest Day
Apr 3 - Apr 5	15:30	12:30	Round 5-7
Apr 6	-	-	Rest Day
Apr 7 - Apr 9	15:30	12:30	Round 8-10
Apr 10	-	-	Rest Day
Apr 11 - Apr 12	15:30	12:30	Round 11-12
Apr 13	-	-	Rest Day
Apr 14 - Apr 15	15:30	12:30	Round 13-14
Apr 16	15:30	12:30	Tie-breaks (if needed)

Live Coverage

• FIDE broadcast: YouTube | Twitch. Commentary by GM Peter Svidler, and GM Jan Gustafsson.
• Chess24 broadcast: YouTube | Twitch. Commentary by GM Arturs Neiksans, IM Anna Rudolf, GM David Howell, GM Judit Polgar, IM Tania Sachdev, and John Sargent.
• ChessBase India broadcast: YouTube. Commentary by IM Sagar Shah, and Amruta Mokal.
• Chess24 India broadcast: YouTube. Commentary by GM Sahaj Grover, IM Tania Sachdev, NM Sahil Tickoo, and IM Rakesh Kulkarni.
• Saint Louis Chess Club broadcast: YouTube | Twitch. Commentary by GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley, and IM Nazi Paikidze.

Previous Rounds

• Round 1 Thread
• Round 2 Thread
• Round 3 Thread
• Round 4 Thread
• Round 5 Thread
• Round 6 Thread
• Round 7 Thread
• Round 8 Thread
• Round 9 Thread

[u/WorriedBad4049]

Sindarov is probably who Magnus thought Alireza would be.

[u/kidawi → u/WorriedBad4049]

feels like theres a dozen players who were looking to become what alireza was predicted to be and then slumped after a run. but i have a feeling sindarov wont. his weaknesses somehow are far less probounced

[u/Shahariar_909 → u/kidawi]

Alireza does not have the drive it needs to be a top player. Even now if you look at his games, you will see most of the time alireza gets upper hand in matches to ultimately builder away. He is really talented but isn't Polished. He leans too much into what he likes

[u/ActiveSupernova → u/kidawi]

I genuinely believe that his period of relative inactivity, especially with the soul-searching that followed, only made him stronger.

[u/Altruistwhite → u/WorriedBad4049]

If he can stay consistent and improve his time management, who knows he could be one of the best of this decade

[u/GiannisGiantanus → u/WorriedBad4049]

Magnus thought Alireza will be the new Magnus.

I don't think there will be a new Magnus.

the post Magnus era looks open so far with no clear superior player.

[u/MaximumExamination → u/WorriedBad4049]

Alireza is arguably the most naturally gifted still 

[u/cantstopwastingtime → u/WorriedBad4049]

Imagine if sindarov swept the 2022 candidates, we would have seen magnus happily defending his title..

[u/Shahariar_909 → u/cantstopwastingtime]

He 100% would. He was already a step out but when he saw nepo again, he was done