FIDE World Championship Match 2026: Gukesh to begin title defence against Sindarov on November 24

The match will be held at the Fondation Martin Bodmer museum in Cologny, Geneva

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has announced the game schedule for the FIDE World Championship Match 2026, which will see reigning world champion D Gukesh face challenger Javokhir Sindarov in Geneva, Switzerland.

The highly anticipated contest will take place from November 22 to December 12, with the first classical game scheduled for November 24. The match will feature a maximum of 14 classical games, with tiebreaks scheduled for December 12 if required.

Gukesh, representing India, will defend the world title he won against China’s Ding Liren in Singapore in December 2024. Sindarov, meanwhile, earned his place in the championship after winning the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament in Cyprus.

Also Read: Geneva to host Gukesh vs Sindarov FIDE World Chess Championship match 2026

Gukesh vs Sindarov: Full World Championship 2026 schedule

The classical games will begin at 3:00 PM Central European Time (CET) i.e. 7:30 PM IST on their scheduled dates. The match will have rest days between groups of games, allowing both players time to recover and prepare.

World Championship 2026 schedule

• Game 1: November 24
• Game 2: November 25
• Game 3: November 26
• Game 4: November 28
• Game 5: November 29
• Game 6: November 30
• Game 7: December 2
• Game 8: December 3
• Game 9: December 4
• Game 10: December 6
• Game 11: December 7
• Game 12: December 8
• Game 13: December 10
• Game 14: December 11
• Tiebreaks, if required: December 12

The match will be held at the Fondation Martin Bodmer museum in Cologny, Geneva. The opening ceremony is scheduled for November 22.

Youngest World Championship match in history

The Gukesh-Sindarov encounter will make history, with both grandmasters set to be 20 years old when the match begins. It will be the youngest World Championship contest since the title was first contested in 1886.

Gukesh became the youngest undisputed world champion in history when he defeated Ding Liren at the age of 18. He will now attempt to become the first Indian player since Viswanathan Anand to successfully defend the classical world title.

Sindarov has enjoyed a remarkable rise, winning the 2025 FIDE World Cup before securing the Candidates title in 2026. The Uzbek grandmaster finished the Candidates tournament unbeaten and secured qualification with a round to spare.

Also Read: FIDE World Chess Championship: Full list of winners

What is the FIDE World Championship format?

The match will feature up to 14 classical games. The first player to score 7.5 points wins the title, and the contest ends immediately once that threshold is reached.

If the score is tied 7-7 after all 14 games, the champion will be decided through rapid and, if necessary, blitz tiebreaks on December 12.

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