The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has approved a new qualification system for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2028 and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2028. These events decide who will challenge for the World Championship titles. The updated rules are designed to make ranking fairer, rewarding players for strong performances in major tournaments instead of relying solely on world rankings. The changes were proposed by FIDE’s Global Strategy Commission and aim to give players more ways to earn a place in the Candidates.One of the biggest updates is the addition of the 2026-2027 World Chess Championship Total Tour as a direct qualification path. The top two players in the Tour standings will earn spots in the 2028 Candidates Tournament.FIDE has also reduced the number of candidate places available through the World Cup. From the 2027 edition, only the two finalists of the Open and the Women’s World Cup will qualify, instead of three players as in previous cycles. Clear substitution rules have also been introduced if a qualified player cannot take part.Another major change is the removal of the rating-based rating. Instead, each place will now be earned through performances in events such as the Grand Swiss, the World Cup, the Total World Chess Championship, the Women’s Grand Prix and the FIDE Circuit. In addition, the FIDE Circuit will now award two qualification spots based on combined results over the 2026-2027 season rather than one spot each year.
Qualification paths and view of FIDE
Both the Open and the Women’s Candidates Tournaments will be eight players. Each event will have two qualifications from the Grand Swiss, two from the World Cup, two from the Tour or Grand Prix of the woman, and two from the FIDE Circuit.“The qualification system for Candidates’ Tournaments is one of the pillars of the World Championship cycle, and it is essential that it continues to evolve alongside the game itself,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. “These changes have been carefully developed to make the grading process more balanced, transparent and performance-based. “By introducing the Total Chess World Championship Tour as a new route, refining the allocation of World Cup places, and putting more emphasis on the results achieved during the cycle, we ensure that each route for the Candidates rewards sustained excellence at the highest level of competition.”