Press release by FIDE
FIDE and Norway Chess have agreed on the key qualification pathways for the Total Chess Tour 2026, the pilot tournament of the new world championship concept. The format is part of the broader Total Chess World Championship Tour, that will crown an overall champion across Fast Classic, Rapid, and Blitz, officially approved by FIDE. The Tour is expected to become one of the most prestigious additions to the elite chess calendar.
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The Total Chess initiative, launched by Norway Chess and approved by FIDE in October 2025, is designed to identify "The Total Chess Player", a versatile competitor who excels across multiple time controls. The Tour will ultimately consist of four events per year in global host cities and award the title of FIDE World Combined Champion. A pilot event is planned from early to mid-October 2026. The official and full championship season to crown the FIDE World Combined Champion will begin in 2027.
Qualification pathways for Total Chess Tour 2026
The three medallists of the 2025 World Rapid Championship and the finalists of the 2025 World Blitz Championship will earn the right to participate in the Total Chess Tour 2026. In addition, world champions (open and women's) will also qualify for the inaugural Total Chess World Championship Tour in 2027.
The main qualification pathways for participation in the pilot tournament have been approved as follows:
- 1–2. The reigning World Champions, Gukesh Dommaraju and Ju Wenjun
- 3–5. The three medallists of the 2025 World Rapid Championship
- 6–7. The finalists of the 2025 World Blitz Championship
- 8–16. The top nine players in the classical rating list as of January 1, 2026
- 17–18. The winners of the 2026 Candidates and the 2026 Women's Candidates.
- 19–21. The top three players in the classical rating list as of June 1, 2026 (excluding those already qualified)
- 22–24. FIDE Circuit / FIDE Open Circuit (special ranking, including only open events).
Experts examine the games of Max Euwe. Let them show you which openings Euwe chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were, which tactical abilities he had or how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame.
Max Euwe became the fifth World Chess Champion after beating Alexander Alekhine in the 1935 World Championship match. A maths teacher by profession, Euwe remained an amateur throughout his life, but was still the best chess player in the Netherlands, and one of the world's best players. Euwe holds the record for the most Dutch national championships, with twelve. After winning the World Championship, Euwe was also the world's best player for a while. He lost the title again in 1937 in the rematch against Alexander Alekhine.
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The full regulations, including player replacement rules, will be published by December 22, 2025. FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky noted on his X account that more details about places 22-24 will be shared at a late date.
About Total Chess World Championship Tour
The Total Chess World Championship Tour introduces a new combined world title spanning Fast Classic, Rapid, and Blitz. Fast Classic is an innovation of classical chess with a shorter time limit, down to 45 minutes plus a 30-second increment, and will receive classical rating. The Tour will feature a minimum $2.7 million annual prize pool, including at least $750,000 for each of the first three events and $450,000 for the Finals (with four players), plus performance bonuses.
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