History of the Candidates Tournament: From Budapest 1950 to Cyprus 2026
The FIDE Candidates Tournament decides who will challenge the World Chess Champion. It has been one of the most important events in chess since 1950. Many legends of chess have competed in it.
Before 1950, challengers had to personally negotiate with the World Champion. They also needed funding and organizers. There was no clear system. This changed with the first Candidates Tournament in Budapest.
Budapest 1950 – The First Candidates
The first Candidates Tournament took place in Budapest from April 11 to May 18, 1950. Ten players competed in a double round-robin format.
The tournament ended in a tie between David Bronstein and Isaac Boleslavsky. They played a playoff match in Moscow. That match also ended in a tie, but Bronstein won the first decisive game and became the official challenger.
Bronstein then played World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik. The match ended in a draw. Under the rules, Botvinnik kept his title.
Zurich 1953 – A Legendary Tournament
The 1953 Candidates is considered one of the greatest chess tournaments ever. Fifteen players competed in a double round-robin. Each player played 28 games.
Vasily Smyslov won clearly. He then played Botvinnik for the World Championship. Their match ended in a draw, so Botvinnik remained champion.
Amsterdam 1956 – Smyslov’s Rise
Smyslov won the Candidates again in 1956 in Amsterdam. He finished well ahead of the field and lost only one game.
In 1957, Smyslov defeated Botvinnik and became the 7th World Chess Champion.
Yugoslavia 1959 – Tal’s Breakthrough
The 1959 Candidates was held in Yugoslavia across three cities: Bled, Zagreb, and Belgrade. Eight players played a quadruple round-robin.
A young 22-year-old Mikhail Tal dominated the event. He later defeated Botvinnik and became World Champion in 1960. Tal became famous as “The Magician from Riga.”
Curacao 1962 – Petrosian Wins
The 1962 Candidates took place in Curacao in the Caribbean. Eight players competed.
Bobby Fischer was only 19 years old and closely watched by the world. However, Tigran Petrosian won the tournament without losing a single game. He later became the 9th World Chess Champion.
1965–1968 – The Spassky Era
Boris Spassky won the Candidates in both 1965 and 1968. He played two World Championship matches against Petrosian. He lost the first but won the second.
1971 – Fischer’s Greatest Triumph
Bobby Fischer dominated the 1971 Candidates Matches. He crushed Taimanov and Larsen 6–0 and defeated Petrosian convincingly.
In 1972, Fischer beat Spassky in the famous “Match of the Century” in Reykjavik. He became the 11th World Chess Champion.
1977–1984 – Karpov vs Korchnoi and Kasparov
Anatoly Karpov became World Champion after Fischer withdrew in 1975. He had epic battles with Victor Korchnoi and later with Garry Kasparov.
Kasparov won the Candidates in 1984 and later became World Champion in 1985.
1991 – The Chess Split
In 1991, a major conflict split the chess world. Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short broke away from FIDE and formed the Professional Chess Association.
FIDE removed Kasparov from its championship system and organized its own world title match. This split lasted until 2006, when Vladimir Kramnik reunited the title.
During this period, the Candidates Tournament was paused.
2007 – Candidates Return After Reunification
After chess reunified, the Candidates system returned. The 2007 World Championship was held as an eight-player tournament in Mexico City.
Viswanathan Anand won and became World Champion. He later defended his title in 2008.
2011 – Gelfand’s Surprise Run
The Candidates Matches were held in Kazan, Russia. Boris Gelfand emerged as the challenger after dramatic matches.
He played Anand for the World Championship in 2012. The match ended 6–6, but Anand won in rapid tiebreaks.
London 2013 – Carlsen’s Breakthrough
The Candidates returned to tournament format in London. Magnus Carlsen won on tiebreaks.
Later that year, he defeated Viswanathan Anand in Chennai and became World Champion.
Khanty-Mansiysk 2014 – Anand’s Comeback
Anand surprised everyone by winning the Candidates in 2014. He remained undefeated and won with one round to spare.
He faced Carlsen again in Sochi but lost the match.
Moscow 2016 – Karjakin Wins
Sergey Karjakin won the Candidates in Moscow. He challenged Carlsen in New York.
The match went to rapid tiebreaks, where Carlsen retained his title.
Berlin 2018 – Caruana’s Strong Challenge
Fabiano Caruana won the Candidates in Berlin. He faced Carlsen in London.
All 12 classical games were drawn. Carlsen won in rapid tiebreaks.
Yekaterinburg 2021 – Pandemic Candidates
The 2021 Candidates was interrupted due to COVID-19. It was paused for over a year. Ian Nepomniachtchi eventually won. He later lost the World Championship match to Magnus Carlsen in Dubai.
Madrid 2022 – Nepomniachtchi Wins Again
Nepomniachtchi won convincingly in Madrid. Ding Liren finished second.
Since Carlsen chose not to defend his title, Nepomniachtchi and Ding played the 2023 World Championship match. Ding Liren became World Champion.
Toronto 2024 – Historic Candidates
For the first time, the Open and Women’s Candidates were held together. In the Open section, Gukesh D won and became the youngest Candidates winner in history. He later became the youngest World Champion ever.
In the Women’s event, Tan Zhongyi won convincingly and earned the right to challenge Ju Wenjun.
Cyprus 2026 – The Next Chapter
The 2026 Candidates will take place in Cyprus at Cap St. Georges Hotel near Paphos. Sixteen players will compete across Open and Women’s events. Each tournament has eight players.
Only one winner from each event will become the official challenger for the World Championship. Chess fans around the world will be watching closely.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
