Praggnanandhaa Stays on Top of FIDE Circuit 2025
Women’s Candidates Race Still Wide Open
The 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss in Samarkand have changed the chess world rankings in a big way. These results are shaping the FIDE Circuit 2025 and the Women’s Candidates race.
Praggnanandhaa’s Strong Lead
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu is still the leader in the FIDE Circuit 2025 standings. Even though he did not earn points in Samarkand, his position remains safe.
Why? Because his biggest rivals, Anish Giri (the Grand Swiss winner) and Matthias Bluebaum (runner-up), both qualified for the 2026 Candidates through this event. That means they are no longer part of the FIDE Circuit race.
Now, the closest challenger is Vincent Keymer from Germany. He gained 16.79 points in Samarkand and moved to fourth place. Still, he is 51 points behind Praggnanandhaa. Keymer has played only three tournaments so far, and there are only a few big events left this year.
Other players like Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Magnus Carlsen, and Chithambaram Aravindh have also played very few events. With limited time and opportunities, it looks almost impossible to catch Praggnanandhaa.
In short: the young Indian star is on track to qualify for the 2026 Candidates through the FIDE Circuit.
A Battle for the Last Women’s Candidates Spot
The Women’s race is far more exciting.
After the wins of Vaishali R and Kateryna Lagno in the Women’s Grand Swiss, the top seven players are already qualified for the Women’s Candidates. That leaves just one final spot open.
Right now, Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the chase. She scored 60 points for finishing third in Samarkand and now holds eighth place with 99.4 points.
But many others are still fighting for that last seat:
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Song Yuxin and Anna Muzychuk – both on 80 points
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Lei Tingjie – 62 points
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Harika Dronavalli – 58.5 points
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Afruza Khamdamova and Alexandra Kosteniuk – 38.5 points each
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Mariya Muzychuk – 26.4 points
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Nana Dzagnidze – 25 points
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Ulviyya Fataliyeva and Irina Krush – 20 points each
With the upcoming Women’s Rapid and Blitz Championships, there are still many points available. This means every one of these players has a chance to grab the last ticket to the Women’s Candidates 2026.
The final events of the season will decide who makes history.
Stay Updated
We continue to track both the FIDE Circuit 2025 and FIDE Women’s Events 2024–2025. Our pages include the latest standings, tournament details, and official regulations.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
