FIDE Circuit: Pragg, Giri and Abdusattorov atop the leaderboard

The state of affairs ahead of the Grand Swiss

The FIDE Circuit continues to shape the qualification path for the Candidates Tournament 2026, with players competing across the strongest international events of the year. Performances are measured through a points system that accounts for both results and the strength of each event. At the end of the season, the sum of a player’s seven best results determines their final score, and the eventual winner secures a direct spot in the Candidates.

As of late August, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu leads the standings by a considerable margin. His tally of 107 points places him well ahead of the rest of the field, making him the clear frontrunner in the race for a Candidates berth. Behind him, Anish Giri occupies second place with 52.77 points, closely followed by Nodirbek Abdusattorov on 50.78. While both players remain within striking distance of one another, the gap to the leader is significant.

Pragg’s commanding lead reflects the fact that he is having an exceptional year. In 2025, he has already won three major tournaments, each time after prevailing in playoffs: the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee, the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest, and the UzChess Cup in Tashkent. These victories, combined with his impressive showings at the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis and the Stepan Avagyan Memorial in Jermuk, have allowed him to build an advantage that looks difficult to overturn.

The leaderboard

Find more information of FIDE’s website…

Anish Giri’s top performance this year was achieved in May, at the strong Sharjah Masters | Photo: Sharjah Chess Club

This video course includes GM Anish Giri’s deep insights and IM Sagar Shah’s pertinent questions to the super GM. In Vol.1 all the openings after 1.e4 are covered.

Attention will soon turn to the FIDE Grand Swiss, scheduled for 2–16 September in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This 11-round Swiss event will not only award two direct places in the Candidates Tournament but will also contribute valuable Circuit points. Many of the current leaders, including Pragg, Giri, Abdusattorov and European champion Matthias Bluebaum, will take part, making it a critical event for both qualification paths. Others, such as Vincent Keymer and Javokhir Sindarov (both currently in the Circuit’s top 10), will be aiming to use the tournament to climb the standings.

Many players would benefit if Pragg were to qualify for the Candidates via the Grand Swiss. As both the favourite to secure a place through the FIDE Circuit and a strong contender for the highest-average-rating spot, his qualification elsewhere could free up the Circuit place for the next player in line. This possibility increases the significance of the remaining tournaments, as the margins in the chasing group are relatively small.

The eventual winner of the Circuit will qualify for the Candidates Tournament 2026, where eight players will compete for the right to challenge Gukesh Dommaraju in the World Championship match. The field will also include Fabiano Caruana, who qualified by winning the 2024 Circuit, along with the top finishers from the Grand Swiss, the World Cup and the highest average rating qualifier.

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