FIDE Stands Firm On Cyprus Venue For Candidates Tournament: No ‘Remotely Dangerous’ Threat

Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 20:15 IST

FIDE says the Candidates Tournament will go ahead in Cyprus despite regional tensions, insisting there is nothing “remotely dangerous” that justifies moving the event.

Despite rising tensions in the Middle East, the FIDE has ruled out moving the upcoming FIDE Candidates Tournament from Cyprus, insisting there is nothing “remotely dangerous" that warrants a venue change.

The prestigious event, which determines the challengers for the world titles held by D. Gukesh in the open category and Ju Wenjun in the women’s section, is scheduled to begin on March 28.

Concerns surfaced after reports that a British air base on the island was targeted in a drone attack earlier this month, amid a wider regional conflict following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

However, FIDE chief executive Emil Sutovsky said the governing body has no plans to relocate the tournament.

“Cyprus is not too far from the conflict zone," Sutovsky told Chessbase. “But at the same time, it is not directly involved in any way and is not in a state of war."

“There is no emergency situation or anything like that."

Players Weighing Their Options

Security concerns have reportedly led Koneru Humpy to consider withdrawing from the women’s Candidates event.

India is strongly represented in the women’s field, with Divya Deshmukh and R. Vaishali also qualifying. In the open section, R. Praggnanandhaa will be the country’s lone participant.

The Candidates tournament features eight players in both the open and women’s categories, with the winners earning the right to challenge for the world championship later this year.

Government Backing

Sutovsky also emphasised that the Cypriot government is fully supporting the event.

“As I mentioned earlier, this event is not just some chess tournament in Cyprus. The government fully understands the status of this event and its importance. The President of the country is scheduled to personally open the tournament on March 28," Sutovsky said.

“We are considering various scenarios, even the most unlikely ones. But we firmly believe that the current situation provides no grounds or reasonable reasons to postpone the date or move the tournament from Cyprus."

Cyprus’ president is expected to personally open the tournament, highlighting the significance of the event for the host nation.

(with PTI inputs)

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