India No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi overlooked again for Grand Chess Tour as Gukesh-Pragg lead the Indian charge in 2026

ALSO READ | How lack of invitations in elite events is holding back Arjun Erigaisi, India’s top-ranked player in all formats

“Yes, he played Tata Steel and Norway Chess (in 2025)… two top-tier closed events this year, but compared to his peers, he competed in fewer tournaments than players at his level typically do across the year,” Srinath had told The Indian Express earlier this year.

According to him, Arjun hasn’t had as many opportunities to face the absolute elite, the 2750+ Elo group, as he deserves. “That exposure plays a crucial role in a player’s development at this level. Someone who started the year as a 2800-rated player, he only took part in two elite events, with the Grand Chess Tour being the most notable exclusion last year,” he added.

The full field of nine full-tour 2026 #GrandChessTour players has been revealed, featuring reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and reigning GCT Champion Fabiano Caruana!
With a $2 million prize fund, the world’s best will compete across the tour, with the season culminating… pic.twitter.com/NCQCkqzZyD

— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) January 27, 2026

Arjun is currently playing at the prestigious Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee, but he was not invited to the Prague Masters either. The other premier event on the calendar, Norway Chess, has yet to announce whether Arjun has received an invitation. The Prague Masters have extended invitations to Gukesh and Aravindh Chithambaram, while Norway Chess has named Praggnanandhaa in its lineup. There is still hope for Arjun to play in the Norway event, as the organisers have not announced their full roster.

What is the GCT?

One of the most prestigious tours in the chess cycle, the GCT is a year-long series of tournaments across Classical, Rapid, and Blitz formats, culminating in a tour final.

The 2026 season will begin with a Rapid and Blitz event in Poland from May 3–10. This will be followed by a Classical event in Romania, another Rapid & Blitz tournament in Croatia and Saint Louis, and finally, the annual fixture, the Sinquefield Cup.

All five events will also feature a few invitees, the Wildcards, but the nine full-tour participants will play in the majority of the tournaments. According to the GCT, “full tour participants will compete in both classical tournaments and two of the three rapid & blitz events. Wildcard players for all events will be announced at a later date.”

GCT 2026 Tour Schedule

• Super Rapid & Blitz Poland: May 3-10, 2026
• Super Chess Classic Romania: May 12-24, 2026
• Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia: Jun. 29-Jul. 6, 2026
• Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: Jul. 31-Aug. 7, 2026
• Sinquefield Cup: Aug. 8-21, 2026
• GCT Finals: Aug. 21-28, 2026

GCT 2026 Full Tour Participants