Overview

• The 206-player knockout in Goa runs from October 31 to November 27 and will award three places in the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
• FIDE named six presidential invitees: Divya Deshmukh, Kirill Alekseenko, Andy Woodward, Abhimanyu Mishra, Volodar Murzin, and Faustino Oro.
• FIDE said Deshmukh’s addition followed a late cancellation, with CEO Emil Sutovsky highlighting the move after earlier declines left no female representation.
• Shortly after publishing the field, FIDE corrected the list by adding Hans Moke Niemann and removing Leinier Dominguez.
• The current entry list does not include Alireza Firouzja, while top names such as Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi are entered.