Archive · 15 Jan 2026
FIDE Overhauls Circuit Path for Candidates Qualification
FIDE, the organization that runs international chess, has made big changes to how players can qualify for an important tournament called the Candidates Tournament.
Instead of having separate rankings every year, they will now combine the results of the 2026 and 2027 seasons into one big ranking.
A player's final score will be based on their best 12 results from these two years.
This change means that players will have more time to show their skills and qualify for the tournament.
Two players, Fabiano Caruana and R. Praggnanandhaa, have already qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament through the old system.
FIDE announces a two-year cycle for the Circuit Rating system, merging 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Players' final scores will be the sum of their twelve highest event scores over the two-year period.
Fabiano Caruana and R. Praggnanandhaa have already qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament through the previous annual system.
The change aims to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of players' performances over a longer period.
This is the first time the FIDE Circuit will operate over a two-year cycle.
- Who
- FIDE (International Chess Federation)
- What
- Overhaul of the Circuit Rating system for Candidates Tournament qualification
- When
- 2026-27 cycle
- Where
- Global (FIDE events)
- Why
- To merge the next two cycles into a single, unified circuit
- Organization
- FIDE (International Chess Federation)
- Announcement
- Overhaul of Circuit Rating system
- Affected Cycle
- 2026-27
- Key Change
- Merger of 2026 and 2027 seasons into a single circuit
- Scoring Method
- Sum of twelve highest event scores over two years
- Previous Annual Qualifiers
- Fabiano Caruana (2024), R. Praggnanandhaa (2025)