The FIDE World Chess Championship Match is the pinnacle of the FIDE World Championship Cycle. The 2026 edition will decide who will reign over the chess world for the next two years – the reigning world champion, Gukesh D (India), or the challenger, Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan). The upcoming clash will be the youngest-ever chess world championship match. Both Gukesh and Sindarov will be 20 at the time it begins.
The World Championship Match 2026 is provisionally scheduled between November 23 and December 17, 2026. FIDE is opening a bidding procedure to host the event.
1.2 The basic provisions are the following:
a) Total duration of the event – up to 25 days
b) The Regulations shall be approved by July 1, 2026.
с) Estimated total budget of the event – 8,500,000 (eight million five hundred thousand) USD
d) Minimum prize fund – 2,500,000 (two million five hundred thousand) USD
e) FIDE fee – 1,100 000 (one million one hundred thousand) USD
f) Payment for commercial, sponsorship, and broadcasting rights shall be specified in the bidders’ proposals.
g) The Organiser shall respect the rights of the FIDE sponsors and partners, including for the video broadcast.
1.3 The Applicant shall fill in the Bidding Form. The Applicant must indicate the exact breakdown of the budget by item, including proposals for payments to FIDE for the commercial and sponsorship rights, payment for the broadcasting rights, and the distribution of sponsorship and broadcasting rights between FIDE and the Organisers.
A signed copy shall be submitted as an e-mail message to the FIDE Secretariat to office@fide.com no later than May 31, 2026, by 23:59 Lausanne time. The bid should be accompanied by the relevant supporting documents. FIDE has the right to extend this deadline if considered necessary. All the documents shall be submitted in English.
1.4 FIDE reserves the right to enter into additional negotiations with any of the Applicants in order to improve or modify the bid.
1.5 The final decision of FIDE will be based on the totality of all the proposed conditions and interests of chess development.