The contest in Uzbekistan will qualify two of the eight 2026 world title Candidates, but Nakamura, the world No 2, has controversially preferred a low-rated qualification route
The 11-round $625,000 Fide Grand Swiss, which began on Thursday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the capital of the Silk Road, will decide two of the eight qualifiers for next year’s world title Candidates.
India has a strong hand, as the world champion, Gukesh Dommaraju (ineligible to qualify), is joined by the world No 4, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, the world No 5, Arjun Erigaisi, and the world No 27, Vidit Gujrathi, who won the 2023 Grand Swiss in Douglas, Isle of Man. Praggnanandhaa is already well placed to qualify via the 2025 Fide congress circuit, from which the world No 3, Fabiano Caruana, qualified in 2024.
There is also a Candidates spot for the highest Fide-rated player, subject to completing 40 rated classical games. The world No 2, Hikaru Nakamura , who still needed 22 of the 40 after eight in the American Cup and 10 in Stavanger, sparked controversy last weekend by choosing to enter the Louisiana State Championship, where he won all seven games against opponents with ratings between 2250 and 1563, compared with the US star’s 2807.
