New Delhi: FIDE Interim President Viswanathan Anand said the decision to stage the 2026 World Chess Championship Match in Geneva was taken after carefully evaluating bids from several countries, including India, with the governing body opting for a neutral venue for the sport’s biggest contest.
“Several countries expressed a strong interest in hosting the FIDE World Championship Match, including India, the United States and Cyprus. After carefully considering all the proposals, FIDE has decided to stage the match on neutral soil and bring it to Geneva, a city with a historic tradition of bringing nations and cultures together. We look forward to welcoming the global chess community to Switzerland.
“The local chess fans will have the opportunity to experience world-class chess in person, while millions of fans around the globe can follow the battle online as the duel for the highest title in chess unfolds,” Anand said after FIDE announced Geneva as the host city.
The FIDE World Championship Match 2026 will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from November 25 to December 15, featuring the current World Champion, D Gukesh, who will be defending his title against Javokhir Sindarov from Uzbekistan in what is set to be the youngest World Championship match ever held. At the start of the match, both players will be 20 years old.
The event will consist of 14 classical games and the world title will be won by the first player to accumulate 7.5 points; in the event that the players are level after the 14 games, tiebreaks will be used to determine the champion.
André Vögtlin, president of the Swiss Chess Federation (SSB), called the event, marking the return of the World Championship to Switzerland after more than twenty years, a landmark moment for chess in the country.
“Swiss chess is experiencing a truly special day; twenty-two years after Brissago, an event of global chess importance is once again coming to Switzerland. To us, this is much more than just wonderful news—it is a defining moment for chess in our country and one which inspires both joy and motivation,” said Vögtlin.
He believes that hosting the World Championship will leave a lasting legacy for chess in Switzerland. “It is a great honour to be hosting an event of this size, and it also provides a special chance to increase the public profile of chess in Switzerland and to encourage new players to take up the sport. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing regular updates on how we’re using this mega-event to boost the popularity of the ‘royal game’ in our country,” he added.
Gukesh will take part in the match as the defending champion, having made history in December 2024 in Singapore by winning the 14th and last classical game against China’s Ding Liren and thus becoming the 18th World Champion and the youngest person ever to achieve the title. The grandmaster from Chennai also became only the second Indian, after Anand, to win the World Championship.
Sindarov, who was the challenger, secured his spot in the title match by winning the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament in Cyprus and finishing one round ahead of the deadline. Having already won the 2025 FIDE World Cup, the Uzbek talent added this Candidates victory to his record, thus arranging a highly anticipated match between two of the most promising players in the world of chess.
(IANS)
