My Honest Comments About the Ongoing World Chess Candidates 2026

First of all, for non-chess players here, the Candidates Tournament is the event that will determine the next challenger to play a match against the current world chess champion. So imagine SMB as the current PBA champion, then the PBA will host an event for all PBA teams (except SMB) where the sole eventual team winner will challenge SMB for the Grand Finals. Our very own Wesley So participated in the Candidates last 2018. As of April 2026, So is ranked number 7 in the world as per FIDE ratings.

Secondly, Matthias Blübaum deserved to be in the Candidates. Aside from being part of the top two finishers of the 2025 FGS, as of writing he is the only one the smashing train Sindarov Express couldn't roll over as both of their games were only a draw. So for those who were bitter of him last FGS until the Candidates are just jealous because maybe some of their favorite players or bets couldn't qualify for the Candidates because a not so big name qualified named Matthias Blübaum.

Thirdly, the smashing train Sindarov Express is onwards to securing the challenger slot for the WCC, unless something drastic happens in the next few rounds. But I am not surprised in his current play right now. Why? Because aside from winning the FIDE World Cup which was his ticket to the candidates (which even Carlsen himself has only won once and it took him a long time before finally becoming world cup champion which he only got years after becoming WC in 2013), Sindarov was able to at least maintain his form during the FWC and he might have improved more vs his form in the last FWC. Sindarov Express is now in his PEAK FORM AND PEAK RATING. Check the stats if you don't believe me. The World Cup ticket is arguably the hardest qualification path, unlike the rating qualification which you can just farm, except if you are the true rating number one named Magnus Carlsen. World Champion Gukesh might really have a hard time if Sindarov continues his form and improves more going to the WCC.

Third, no doubt that Nakamura can still compete with the top players. However, just because you won some games in the Candidates, doesn't erase or validate what you did when he played some mickey mouse tournaments. How will your schoolmates feel if in your grade school or high school, you are a young world class prodigy GM, but you still joined your local school intramurals where you are the only titled player. Yes, he is legally okay to join as a bonafide student, but not all legal acts are ethical acts. Cause sometimes, two things can be true at the same time.

Lastly, I don't like the settings or format in the studio and interview phase after a game has finished. Respectfully, the GM guys in the studio are so disorganized that at times they speak in chorus or as if they are dominating each other that at times I don't anymore understand them, especially their analysis in the first place is not that friendly to the lower level players. It felt like I was in the fish market where it is so loud and many simultaneous competing voices. Also, I don't like the part where the loser will sit down with the game winner and will be interviewed also by the press. It should only be the winner and the host, cause if the winner is tired after a long game, how much more the one who lost the game. Instead of Gustaffson and Zachary, it should be Peter Leko or Robert Hess or Evgenij Miroshnichenko. At least, it should be an older and experienced host who will handle the interview with the press, not Zachary.

Tbh, both public and private sectors should give more support to chess in the PH (and other sports where physicality is not decisive) because it is one of the fields where we have an advantage, unlike in other sports where height and athleticism is very crucial. That's why in MLBB, we are the current strongest country in the world. In chess, we already have two players who have participated in the World Chess Candidates: Eugene Torre and Wesley So - AND BOTH OF THEM IN THEIR CAREERS AT SOME POINT HAVE DEFEATED THE REIGNING WORLD CHAMPIONS IN THEIR PRIME DURING THEIR RESPECTIVE ERAS. While they didn't become official classical world chess champions, as of this writing for So's case, but at least they have won at least one game against the world champion in their eras. In basketball, not necessarily in a championship game, but have we defeated the basketball global number 1, esp in recent times like a FULL FORCE Team USA headed by all-star NBA players and legends? Yung the best talaga nila, hindi yung Team B nila or college players lang ang pinadala.

It's sad cause in the private sector alone, many companies have the thinking of "I don't care if we are weak in this sport globally or if being number one is impossible, all I care about is whether or not this sport is very famous in our country where my business could potentially benefit more - aka ROI." Meanwhile, about the public sector side, as per spin.ph - "To be poor and unconnected in the Philippines is to be trash for rich people to step on," So said. "Because of a quarrel between the kings of the sports bodies, not only did the country refuse to acknowledge my efforts, they refused to give me the P1 million promised to athletes who bring home a gold medal." According to Key, So grew so disillusioned that he almost quit the sport. But the chess whiz somehow found renewed vigor upon his return to the US where he eventually left Webster University and moved to Minnesota to stay with Key's family.