The Candidates Tournament gets underway

The Candidates Tournaments, the most critical stage of the FIDE World Championship cycle, have begun with first-round games in both the open and women’s events. Each tournament features eight elite players competing in a 14-round double round-robin format, meaning every participant faces all rivals with both White and Black. At the end of this demanding marathon, the winners will earn the right to challenge for the World Chess Championship and the Women’s World Chess Championship titles.

The opening round is important not only because of the standings, but also because of the psychological balance it creates. A strong start can directly influence both confidence and strategic approach in a long and exhausting double round-robin event. Potential clashes among the top seeds immediately bring opening preparation, novelties, and time management into focus. At this level, even draws are often fiercely contested, and the smallest positional edge can turn into a technical test lasting for hours.

What truly elevates the value of this tournament is the scale of the prize: the right to play for the world title. Among the most prominent names in recent chess, Gukesh Dommaraju and women’s world champion Ju Wenjun remain central figures in the global chess conversation, while the Candidates stage continues to be the place where new challengers emerge. According to the regulations, if there is a tie for first place, a playoff will be held to determine the winner. That means not only classical strength, but also the ability to make decisions under faster time controls, may prove decisive.

In modern elite chess, preparation is no longer just about memorising long engine lines. Today’s approach places greater emphasis on typical plans, pawn structures, ideal piece placement, and attacking motifs. For that reason, an event like the Candidates is not only about results, but also a showcase of where top-level chess is heading. From how microscopic opening advantages are converted in the middlegame, to how kingside attacks are built on positional foundations, and how defensive resilience is tested, these will be among the central themes to watch from the very first round.