Arjun Erigaisi’s Candidates 2026 Qualification Hopes Dashed as Fabiano Caruana Secures Spot
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi’s hopes of qualifying for the Candidates 2026 were dashed after Russia’s Volodar Murzin emerged victorious at the FIDE World Rapid Championship 2024 in New York. Arjun needed a clear first-place finish or a win via tiebreaks to secure the spot through FIDE Circuit Rating points, but fell short in his quest.
This turn of events also marked USA’s Fabiano Caruana as the first player to qualify for the Candidates 2026, after leading the FIDE Circuit 2024 leaderboard. Caruana’s recent win at the Saint Louis Masters propelled him to the top of the standings, edging out Arjun in the race for the coveted spot.
Despite putting up a strong fight at the Qatar Masters Open 2024, where he finished second, Arjun was unable to catch up with Caruana in the rankings. With both players having completed seven tournaments counted towards the 2024 FIDE Circuit final standings, Caruana maintained a six-point lead over his closest competitor.
A victory at the World Rapid Championship would have given Arjun the necessary points to surpass Caruana in the Circuit leaderboard. However, his second-place finish was not enough to bridge the gap between the two players.
With three spots reserved for the top three in the World Cup 2025, two from the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, one from Circuit 2025 rating, and one based on the highest rating average between August 2025 and January 2026, the competition for the remaining spots in the Candidates 2026 is heating up.
The winner of the Candidates 2026 will have the opportunity to challenge the youngest-ever World Champion, D. Gukesh, who recently clinched the title by defeating China’s Ding Liren in Singapore.
The FIDE Circuit serves as one of the pathways to qualify for the Candidates Tournament 2026, with the player achieving the highest results in eligible tournaments during the year earning a spot. Each player must participate in a minimum of five eligible tournaments, including at least four with a standard time control, as per the 2024 regulations.
As the dust settles on the World Rapid Championship 2024, the FIDE Circuit leaderboard sees Caruana leading the pack, followed by Arjun Erigaisi and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The race for the remaining spots promises to be intense as players vie for a chance to compete in the prestigious Candidates 2026 tournament.