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What the world is saying about the 2026 Candidates

A round‑up of expert forecasts, player preparations, and venue buzz

FIDE 20 March 2026

“Road to the crown: 2026 Candidates Tournament begins in Cyprus”

The official preview highlights the stunning Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Pegeia, with its cliffside setting, private beaches, and ten restaurants. Side events include a 4th International Open (9‑round Swiss, €5,000 prize fund) and a Fan Zone featuring legends Vishy Anand, Nigel Short, Boris Gelfand, Victor Bologan, and Alexandra Kosteniuk.

“The Candidates is one of the great competitions in chess. People are very‑highly motivated, and they have a chance to play for the world title, which is obviously the big prize.”
— Vishy Anand

Commentator Jan Gustafsson noted that “the good‑old game after game strategy does apply,” while Peter Svidler picked Fabiano Caruana as his favourite: “He is so consistent and has a fantastic record playing in the Candidates.”

Official site →

Firstpost 21 March 2026

“From Nakamura and Caruana to Praggnanandhaa, how top contenders are preparing”

R Praggnanandhaa has taken a rare break after a tough Tata Steel Masters, admitting that “playing continuous tournaments” left no time to reflect. He arrives in Cyprus hoping to be recharged.

In contrast, Nakamura and Caruana chose intense preparation: Nakamura faced Awonder Liang in a three‑day training match (losing 4‑6 overall, though classical games were drawn). Caruana played the Saint Louis Masters and the American Cup, where he suffered back‑to‑back losses to Wesley So and Levon Aronian.

“Lately, I haven’t played up to my best. I believe it’s partially due to playing continuous tournaments. There’s just no time to even think about what’s going on.”
— R Praggnanandhaa

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The Guardian 13 March 2026

“Chess: Favourite Fabiano Caruana loses twice in run‑up to world title Candidates”

Leonard Barden notes that Caruana, the 5‑2 favourite, lost twice in the American Cup – both times in similar fashion: winning the first classical game, losing the second, then falling in rapid tiebreaks. “Both defeats followed a pattern where Caruana was gradually ground down in middle games and endgames without queens,” a weakness opponents may target.

Nakamura and Javokhir Sindarov are co‑second favourites (5‑1), while the field is now seen as more open after Caruana’s stumbles. The Women’s Candidates runs concurrently, with Aleksandra Goryachkina as Barden’s narrow pick.

“Arguably the event is more open after Caruana’s stumble this week, so that Wei Yi, Praggnanandhaa, Anish Giri, Matthias Blübaum, and Andrey Esipenko will all have their supporters.”
— Leonard Barden

Full column →

📰 Key headlines at a glance

• Venue: Cap St Georges Resort, Cyprus – a cliffside luxury resort with dedicated fan zone and side events.
• Expert favourites: Anand & Svidler tip Caruana; Gustafsson warns of “freezing” after a +3 lead; Barden notes Caruana’s recent form dip.
• Preparation: Pragg takes a rest; Nakamura & Caruana opt for match play; Sindarov arrives after World Cup triumph.
• Women’s Candidates: Running concurrently, with Goryachkina, Humpy, Vaishali, and Assaubayeva among the favourites.
• Ticket & fan info: Multi‑day discounts, VIP packages with GM meet‑and‑greets, and a live‑streamed commentary by Svidler & Gustafsson.

© 2026 · The Gauntlet · A chess history series