Overview
- The FIDE Candidates in Pegeia gathers eight players in each section for a 14-round, double round-robin using full classical time controls, with tiebreaks planned for April 16 if needed.
- Organizers tightened precautions after a drone strike at the Akrotiri airbase and recent local blackouts, and FIDE says the host hotel includes on-site shelter facilities.
- The Open lineup features Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, R Praggnanandhaa, Anish Giri, Wei Yi, Andrey Esipenko, Javokhir Sindarov, and Matthias Blübaum.
- The Women’s event proceeds after Koneru Humpy withdrew over safety concerns, with Anna Muzychuk stepping in alongside Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno, Zhu Jiner, Tan Zhongyi, Divya Deshmukh, Bibisara Assaubayeva, and Vaishali Rameshbabu.
- Coverage differs on the opening-round pairings, with Reuters touting a Caruana–Nakamura first game and ESPN listing a different Round 1, so early matchups may appear inconsistent across outlets.