The Candidates Chess Tournament is one of the primary games organized in chess. It determines who will meet the reigning world Chess Champion. The 2026 edition was supposed to take place in Cyprus but recent warnings against public health are coming with new developments. A German entrepreneur has come forward which has given some hope for hosting the tournament in Germany: it's definitely a nice concept.
The original plan was to hold the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus in the period from 28 March to 16 April 2026. But the present conflict in the Middle East has caused doubt about security. The Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy publicly voiced doubts on what to do and she said she was scared her life was in danger around security problems. The concern that everyone could carry around is shared and as you go to Cyprus you are not far from there in any case.
In order to tackle any of these problems, the German entrepreneur Wadim Rosenstein wrote to FIDE, the world chess governing body, to offer the event in Germany. Rosenstein’s message is that he has his hands raised with concern concerning the situation in Cyprus and he wants to create a safe atmosphere for the participants. It is very popular in chess as it has been proven.
The Candidates Tournament is so much above a chess competition. It is the route to the World Chess Tournament. It will allow the winner to challenge the winner of the Championships so it is very prestigious and competitive. Given the presence of 4 Indian players taking part this year, we consider the location and it will be especially high value for the chess community of India.
Germany is noted for its excellent infrastructure, stability across all countries and international-level event hosting. Moving the tournament to Germany would overcome anxiety with regards to safety level and make sure participants don’t have to be thinking just about what others thought and work instead to make sure that events run safely.
The offer of Wadim Rosenstein proves the chess world is concerned enough with player safety to play. Cyprus was originally the natural choice for that tournament, but people are feeling very unsafe in the place. Germany might be a better solution. FIDE is not yet making a firm decision, because the Candidates Tournament could take place in Germany now. This could also be the most effective way we might find for it to be a global event if the players, fans and all that is the world of chess as well.
