The International Chess Federation ( FIDE ) has published a number of changes on

• The International Chess Federation ( FIDE ) has published a number of changes on its official website for selection for the Candidates Tournament in 2026.
• In total, the federation adopted five innovations.

1. The runner-up in a World Championship match will no longer automatically receive a spot in the next Candidates Tournament. Instead, the runner-up will now have to go through a qualification process. To compensate for this change, the 2024 World Championship match will also be recognized as a FIDE qualifying tournament and the runner-up will receive special bonus points for participating in the match. The points he scores in the World Championship match will be calculated based on his performance. This means that the points received for a match will depend on the match score. If a match is lost in tiebreakers, the runner-up will receive more points than if they lost in the standard part of the match.
2. The spot reserved for the highest rated player will now be determined by the average rating for six months, rather than the previous 12 months or his current rating. This place is exclusive to the player ranked first on the FIDE rating list . If a player withdraws, the qualifying spot is awarded to the second-highest ranked player. If the second-ranked player has already qualified, the qualifying spot will be redirected to the FIDE 2025 standings. Notably, the six-month average ranking rule eliminates the possibility for players to count on a “last chance” tournament in December in the run-up to the Candidates Tournament.
3. Two places in the FIDE standings for 2024 and 2025 give the right to play at the Candidates Tournament - 2026. The final result will be the sum of the player’s highest results in competitions, but not more than in seven tournaments.
   3.1) In round-robin tournaments, points are awarded only for the first three places.

• 3.2) Added a new bonus for single first place without any tiebreaker criteria.

• 3.3) An unlimited number of tournaments can be held in one country, provided that of its 20

highest-rated players, no more than 50% represent one federation.

• 3.4) Organizers of events that will take place after July 1, 2024 must notify GSC FIDE at least

three months in advance.

4. The World Cup gives the right to qualify for the Candidates Tournament to three participants at once.
5. The Grand Swiss gives the right to qualify for the Candidates Tournament to two participants.