Anish Giri Calls Candidates 2026 Line-Up “Surprising”, Highlights Strength of Lower-Rated Players | Exclusive

Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa has officially booked his spot at the Candidates 2026, joining his sister R Vaishali, who qualified earlier after defending her FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss title. But Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri believes that India could have had “more than just one” representative in the open section of the prestigious event.

The Candidates Tournament, scheduled for March 28 to April 16, 2026, at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus, will decide the next challengers for both the Open and Women’s World Chess Championship titles.

“Only One Indian Is Quite Surprising” — Anish Giri

Speaking exclusively to TimesofIndia.com, Giri praised the diverse line-up but expressed surprise that India, currently one of the strongest chess nations, has only one participant in the open bracket.

“You could have multiple Indian players easily... But there is one German, one Russian, and only one Indian, which is quite surprising,” Giri said.

“You also have one Indian who is already the World Champion,” he added, referring to D Gukesh. “So in a way, India has two in the running.”

Praggnanandhaa’s Journey to the Candidates

After narrowly missing qualification at both the FIDE Grand Swiss and World Cup, the 20-year-old Chennai GM finally secured his berth through the FIDE Circuit, thanks to a standout year with victories at:

Wijk aan Zee Masters

Superbet Chess Classic Romania

UzChess Cup Masters

London Chess Classic Open

Underrated but Dangerous: Giri on Matthias Bluebaum

Giri also singled out Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum, the lowest-rated seed, as a major threat.

“Bluebaum is very formidable… a seasoned professional. He became European champion this year. It didn’t come out of nowhere.”

He warned fans not to judge competitors solely by their current ratings, noting that young players like Jakhongir Sindarov and Andrey Esipenko could easily outperform expectations.

“No One Will Be a Pushover”

According to Giri, lower-rated competitors often arrive better prepared and highly motivated during a World Championship cycle.

“There is not a player in there who will be a pushover. Lower ratings might provoke top players into going more aggressively — it could make the tournament far more exciting.”

A Hilarious Hurdle: Giri’s Prep Team Complicated by World Cup

Giri also revealed a humorous challenge while assembling his team of seconds for the Candidates.

“I had a list of players I wanted to invite, but I couldn’t yet — because they might qualify through the World Cup,” he said.

“Two of the players I considered actually qualified themselves! That tells me I have a good eye — the seconds I wanted are now my opponents.”

Despite this twist, Giri is confident in forming a strong support team.

A Potent, Competitive Field

Giri believes the current line-up promises one of the most hard-fought Candidates events in recent years.

“Of course, it could be even stronger with players like Arjun Erigaisi, Firouzja, or Abdusattorov… but there are so many great players. No one will be easy. It’s going to be exciting.”

With established stars, breakout talents, and highly motivated returnees, the Candidates 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated chess events in the world.