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Hikaru Nakamura in action during Candidates tournament 2026 in Cyprus. (PHOTO: FIDE/Yoav Nis)

'Are we Mossad agents in Iran?': Hikaru Nakamura rips into FIDE for excessive anti-cheating measures at Candidates

April 02, 2026 2:57 pm

Nakamura opened his campaign in what is his fourth Candidates with a loss to compatriot Fabiano Caruana

Praggnanandhaa at Candidates: 'A good start is great, but I still have to play my best'

March 31, 2026 12:38 pm

Pragg used the French defense variant to put Wei Yi in a spot, but the Chinese wriggled out after the Indian's one misstep

An upset Ian Nepomniachtchi in action against Fabiano Caruana during 2024 Candidates tournament. (PHOTO: FIDE/Michal Walusza)

Why people go crazy at the Candidates tournament

March 25, 2026 10:46 pm

The World Championships and World Cup in chess offers their own unique challenge but the Candidates is where all hell breaks loose

India's Koneru Humpy in action against China's Yuxin Song during FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 qf. (Photo credit: Anna Shtourman/FIDE)

'Shows lack of respect': Cyprus Chess Federation chief Tornaritis hits back at Koneru Humpy & Hikaru Nakamura over safety concerns

March 25, 2026 12:36 am

Humpy pulled out of the Candidates, citing safety concerns amid the ongoing Gulf conflict

Koneru Humpy contemplates her next move at the Pune leg of the FIDE Grand Prix chess event. (PHOTO: Abhilash Shinde via FIDE)

Safety concerns mount in Cyprus as Poker event cancelled after Humpy pulls out from Candidates tournament

March 25, 2026 12:11 am

FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky recently confirmed that the Candidates Tournament will go ahead as scheduled

Anna Muzychuk finished as the runner-up in the inaugural edition of Norway Chess Women's tournament in 2024. (PHOTO: Norway Chess)

How a white knight chess piece on Day 1 of her birth, kickstarted chess for Anna Muzychuk

March 23, 2026 10:53 pm

The Ukrainian recalls how she won her first chess 'diploma', a certificate popular in east European countries, in her first tournament at 4, when she finished second or third.

Anna Muzychuk at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship in 2023. (Photo: Lennart Ootes)

Candidates 2026: Anna Muzychuk to replace Koneru Humpy after Indian GM pulls out

March 23, 2026 11:11 am

Announcing her withdrawal from the Candidates, Humpy had said: “No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety and well-being. Despite the assurances provided, I do not feel fully secure under the current circumstances.”

Hikaru Nakamura reacts during a game at Norway Chess. (PHOTO: Michal Walusza via Norway Chess)

'Not a good sign... power goes out completely & doesn't come back': Hikaru Nakamura flags concerns in Cyprus ahead of Candidates 2026

March 22, 2026 4:08 pm

Cyprus is also being dragged into the ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran.

Candidates 2026 draw ceremony at Cyprus: Four Indians will be in action at the tournament starting at the end of this month. (Photo: FIDE)

As war between Iran and USA-Israel gets bigger, entrepreneur offers to help host Candidates in Germany

March 21, 2026 12:28 am

The Candidates tournament 2026 is scheduled to take place in the Mediterranean island Cyprus from March 28 to April 16.

Humpy’s contention is simple: if things in the war do not improve, she is likely to skip the tournament rather than risk her life to play in the event.

FIDE’s Candidates gambit in Cyprus comes with a deja vu from the COVID era

March 18, 2026 11:10 am

Koneru Humpy has flagged the situation as being not ideal to play the game peacefully or safely since Cyprus, with its British airbase, is surrounded by risks of bomb or missile sirens