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World Chess Championship 2026: Gukesh vs Sindarov

World Champion Gukesh D (India) defends his title against Candidates winner Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan). The match starts on 24 November 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland, and games begin at 15:00 CET (14:00 UTC). This page is updated after every game.

Nov 24 – Dec 12match dates
15:00 CETgame start (14:00 UTC)
14 games7.5 points wins

The match has not started yet. Game 1 is on Tuesday 24 November at 15:00 CET.

Game-by-game results

GameDateWhiteBlackResultOpeningScore (Gukesh–Sindarov)
1Nov 24——not played
2Nov 25——not played
3Nov 26——not played
4Nov 28——not played
5Nov 29——not played
6Nov 30——not played
7Dec 2——not played
8Dec 3——not played
9Dec 4——not played
10Dec 6——not played
11Dec 7——not played
12Dec 8——not played
13Dec 10——not played
14Dec 11——not played

Match schedule

DateEventTime (CET)
Nov 22 SunMedia day and opening ceremony
Nov 23 MonMedia day and technical meeting
Nov 24 TueGame 115:00
Nov 25 WedGame 215:00
Nov 26 ThuGame 315:00
Nov 27 FriRest day
Nov 28 SatGame 415:00
Nov 29 SunGame 515:00
Nov 30 MonGame 615:00
Dec 1 TueRest day
Dec 2 WedGame 715:00
Dec 3 ThuGame 815:00
Dec 4 FriGame 9 (if required)15:00
Dec 5 SatRest day
Dec 6 SunGame 10 (if required)15:00
Dec 7 MonGame 11 (if required)15:00
Dec 8 TueGame 12 (if required)15:00
Dec 9 WedRest day
Dec 10 ThuGame 13 (if required)15:00
Dec 11 FriGame 14 (if required)15:00
Dec 12 SatTiebreaks if required (rapid/blitz) and closing ceremony

Times are Central European Time (CET, UTC+1). Games 9–14 are played only if needed: the match ends as soon as a player reaches 7.5 points.

Rules

  1. The match is at most 14 classical games. The first player to reach 7.5 points wins the match and the world title; the remaining games are not played.
  2. Time control: 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move 41.
  3. No draw by agreement before Black's 40th move (threefold repetition and stalemate excepted, approved by the Chief Arbiter).
  4. At 7–7 the title is decided by tiebreaks on 12 December: 4 rapid games (15 min + 10 s), then if still level 2 rapid games (10 min + 5 s), then 2 blitz games (3 min + 2 s), then single blitz games (3 min + 2 s) until there is a winner.
  5. Prize fund: USD 2.5 million: USD 200,000 for each game won, with the balance shared equally between the players.

The players

Gukesh DIndia · World Champion

  • Born 29 May 2006; became a grandmaster at 12 in 2019.
  • Became the 18th World Champion in December 2024 in Singapore, beating Ding Liren 7.5–6.5 by winning the 14th and final classical game.
  • Rated 2710 on the FIDE November 2026 list, world no. 26.

Javokhir SindarovUzbekistan · Challenger

  • Born 8 December 2005; became a grandmaster at 12 in 2018. He turns 21 on 8 December, during the match.
  • Won the 2025 FIDE World Cup in Goa and the April 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus unbeaten, scoring 10/14 with a round to spare.
  • Rated 2782 on the FIDE November 2026 list, world no. 4: 72 points above the champion.

Head-to-head record

Time controlGamesGukesh winsDrawsSindarov wins
Classical3012
Rapid, blitz and exhibition4112
Total7124

Two of the classical games: Sindarov won with White at the 2022 Sharjah Masters; their most recent classical game was a 78-move draw at the 2026 Tata Steel Masters. Source: Wikipedia, 12 November 2026.

All world chess champions in history →

On our channel: World Championship videos

A daily countdown series on our YouTube channel @mytourneys (on-screen text in Turkish, English voice-over).

▶ 14 games, 7.5 points: how the title is won — 12 days to goNov 12 2026 · YouTube Shorts▶ Both grandmasters at 12! Gukesh vs Sindarov, 13 days to goNov 12 2026 · YouTube Shorts▶ Gukesh vs Sindarov: 14 days to the World Championship! Who wins?Nov 10 2026 · YouTube Shorts

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Chess tournaments starting this week

Watch the world championship and play yourself: tournaments starting in the next few days from our calendar. The full list, entry links and prizes are for members.

Nov 12 Thu · 234 tournaments start

Nov 13 Fri · 206 tournaments start

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Nov 16 Mon · 52 tournaments start

Nov 17 Tue · 45 tournaments start

Nov 18 Wed · 40 tournaments start

Nov 19 Thu · 31 tournaments start

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FAQ

When does the 2026 World Chess Championship start?

The opening ceremony is on 22 November 2026 and game 1 is on Tuesday 24 November 2026 at 15:00 CET. The last classical game is on 11 December; tiebreaks, if needed, are on 12 December.

Where is the match played?

At the Fondation Martin Bodmer in Cologny, near Geneva, Switzerland.

How many games are played?

At most 14 classical games. The first player to 7.5 points becomes champion; at 7–7 rapid and blitz tiebreaks are played.

What time do the games start?

Classical games start at 15:00 Central European Time (14:00 UTC, 9:00 New York, 19:30 India).

Sources

Match details checked on Nov 12 2026 against FIDE's official announcement and Wikipedia. If the schedule changes, FIDE's announcement prevails. Ratings from the FIDE November 2026 list.

Last updated: 2026-11-12