The FIDE Candidates draw ceremony took place in Paphos, Cyprus, highlighting four Indian participants in the upcoming tournament. The event, scheduled from March 28 to April 16, 2026, will select challengers for D. Gukesh's men's world championship and Ju Wenjun's women's title. India's representatives include R. Praggnanandhaa in the men's section and Divya Deshmukh, R. Vaishali, and Koneru Humpy in the women's.
The FIDE Candidates Tournament, a key step toward the World Championship, begins its qualification process with the recent draw ceremony at the Cap St. George's Hotel & Resort in Paphos, Cyprus. Set to run from March 28 to April 16, 2026, the event features strong Indian representation.
In the men's section, Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa, winner of the FIDE Circuit 2025, stands as India's sole participant. His opening rounds include a matchup against Anish Giri in round one, followed by China's Wei Yi in round two, World No. 13 Javokhir Sindarov in round three, and Matthias Bluebaum in round four.
The women's section boasts three Indian players. Twenty-year-old Divya Deshmukh qualified by defeating former world champion Tan Zhongyi earlier in 2025, a victory that also earned her first Grandmaster norm; she became India's 88th Grandmaster in July 2025. Grandmaster R. Vaishali earned her spot by winning the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss 2025. Veteran Koneru Humpy, who finished runner-up in the 2024 Women's Candidates, completes the trio.
Pairings for the Indian women start with Humpy facing Deshmukh in round one, then Tan Zhongyi in round two, and Vaishali in round three. Vaishali opens against Bibisara Assaubayeva in round one, followed by Deshmukh in round two and Humpy in round three. These matchups set the stage for intense competition among the compatriots early on.
