The Candidates Tournament is heating up

The 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament became even more intense in round five, with the race for first place tightening in both the Open and Women's sections. Played as an eight-player double round-robin, this elite event determines who will earn the right to challenge the reigning world champion. In the Open, GM Javokhir Sindarov continued his remarkable run, reaching 4.5/5 after five rounds. Such an explosive start not only gives the young grandmaster a points edge, but also a clear psychological advantage for the rounds ahead. Right behind him, GM Fabiano Caruana remains firmly in contention on 3.5/5. In the Women's Candidates, the standings are far tighter, with GM Kateryna Lagno, GM Anna Muzychuk, and GM Zhu Jiner sharing first place on 3/5.

The standout result of the round was Sindarov's victory over GM Hikaru Nakamura. Nakamura appeared to come armed with targeted opening preparation aimed at his opponent's repertoire, but as the game developed, the initiative gradually shifted to Sindarov. In the middlegame especially, the Uzbek star found the more energetic and accurate decisions, refusing to remain passive and ultimately turning the game in his favor. Shortly afterward, Caruana's win against GM Matthias Blübaum prevented the gap at the top from widening further and kept the fight for first place very much alive. On the other boards, GM R Praggnanandhaa had some chances to press against GM Andrey Esipenko, but failed to find the right piece setup to create lasting pressure, while the Catalan Opening between GM Anish Giri and GM Wei Yi was a highly correct, controlled, and rather quiet encounter.

By the very nature of the Candidates, every half-point carries enormous weight. In this format, success is not only about winning games, but also about knowing when to take risks and when to remain solid. Sindarov's early momentum gives him more than a lead in the standings; it also puts pressure on his rivals, who may feel forced to sharpen their approach. The fact that a player as experienced as Caruana, a former world championship challenger, is still close behind shows that the tournament is far from decided. In the Women's event, the three-way tie at the top makes the upcoming pairings even more significant, since a single mistake could completely reshape the leaderboard.

Lichess continues to provide in-depth coverage of the 2026 Candidates, including annotated games, expert commentary, and video content for every round. In the Open event, rounds 1-7 are being annotated by GM Axel Bachmann, while GM Maksim Chigaev covers rounds 8-14 and any potential tiebreaks. In the Women's Candidates, WGM Petra Papp handled the first four rounds, IM/WGM Lilit Mkrtchian is covering rounds 5-7, and IM/WGM Ekaterina Atalik will annotate the final stage. From a historical perspective, the Candidates was once an elimination event, but since 2013 it has been held in double round-robin format, placing even greater emphasis on preparation depth and strategic endurance. After round five, the message is clear: Sindarov is setting the pace in the Open, though the chasing pack remains dangerous, while in the Women's section the battle for first has become a fully multi-front contest.