Overview

• Rounds run September 4–15 in Uzbekistan, with the top two finishers in both the Open and Women’s events earning 2026 Candidates berths.
• Round 1 pairings feature R Praggnanandhaa vs Jeffery Xiong and D Gukesh vs Etienne Bacrot, while Divya Deshmukh, already in the Women’s Candidates, tests herself in the Open against Abhimanyu Puranik.
• D Gukesh, already assured of a title defense next year, said he is playing to experience the Swiss format and "prove myself" despite not needing qualification.
• The field lists 116 players in the Open and 56 in the Women’s event with prize funds of USD 625,000 and USD 230,000 respectively, and notable absences include Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura (pursuing rating), and Fabiano Caruana (already qualified).
• Uzbek star Nodirbek Abdusattorov declared "Gukesh will lose his title in the next match," drawing a measured reply from Gukesh that Abdusattorov must first qualify through the Candidates.