NEW DELHI: On Thursday, the whole nation woke up to a historic realisation. Two of India’s young chess prodigies, 19-year-old Dommaraju Gukesh and 24-year-old Vaishali Rameshbabu, will compete in their respective World Chess Championship matches. This means that for the first time, India has a simultaneous shot at crowning two world champions in the game of 64 squares.Gukesh, who is already a reigning champion, will be facing Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, who has entered the fray after outfoxing his opponents to win the Candidates Tournament with an unbeaten streak and a commendable score of 10/14 points.On the other hand, Vaishali clinched the Women’s Candidates title with a noteworthy performance, securing her date with the five-time world champion from China, Ju Wenjun.
Javokhir Sindarov lifts the Candidates title. (Photo by Niki Riga)
How will FIDE decide the host city?
TimesofIndia.com understands that FIDE will now begin the formal process of selecting the host for both World Championship matches. This starts with a tender asking for bids, which is expected to be published in the month of May.“FIDE will soon open the bids for hosting the matches. The announcement will be published on FIDE website and sent to all national federations,” a FIDE official told this website.The tender is expected to be comprehensive. It will include specific details of the match and event duration, minimum total budget requirements for the event, the minimum prize fund, the FIDE fee, and guidelines regarding sponsors and organisational regulations.While private companies or a consortium from a specific country might be interested in hosting these high-profile matches, FIDE guidelines state that the bid must be submitted through the national federation.“Bids for hosting the matches are accepted from national federations, with detailed requirements for infrastructure, accommodation, and FIDE official inspections. The FIDE General Strategy Commission will evaluate all applications, and the FIDE Council will approve the final host city,” the official added.In terms of the calendar, FIDE has fixed the World Championship match for the November-December 2026 window. Meanwhile, the women’s match is currently provisionally scheduled for the spring of 2027. It is similar to the last cycle where the FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship 2025 was held in China from 1–16 April 2025, while D Gukesh faced Ding Liren in the World Championship match during November–December 2024.However, FIDE is also considering the possibility of hosting both championship matches simultaneously. It is understood that this option is being considered and remains a distinct possibility, though it is not a mandatory requirement.The final decision will likely depend on the level of interest the Women’s World Championship generates in terms of bidding and commercial sponsors. If a host city or a group of sponsors sees the value in a double header featuring both the open and women’s titles, the world could see Gukesh and Vaishali fighting for the crowns under the same roof.
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