Until a few years ago Peyia, a quiet community on Cyprus’s western coast, was best known for banana plantations. Over the past decade it has been reshaped by foreign investment, much of it from Russia, and by high-end developments such as the Cap St Georges complex. Between March 28 and April 16 the resort there hosted two major events: the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.
Some of the world’s top grandmasters competed for the right to challenge the reigning world champions. Contenders included Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Anish Giri and Matthias Blübaum, alongside 20-year-old Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan, who emerged as the standout performer and won the event, earning the right to face World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. In the women’s event, 24-year-old Vaishali Rameshbabu of India won and will challenge Ju Wenjun.
The tournaments played out against a tense international backdrop. Escalating instability in the Middle East directly affected participation: India’s Koneru Humpy withdrew from the Women’s Candidates, citing serious safety concerns and travel disruptions, and was replaced by Ukrainian grandmaster Anna Muzychuk.
The war in Ukraine also cast a long shadow over the competition. After Russia’s full-scale invasion, international sporting sanctions extended to chess: FIDE required Russian players to compete under a neutral flag, without national symbols, anthems or federation identification. Players such as Andrey Esipenko and Aleksandra Goryachkina therefore appeared under the FIDE flag.
Even without national insignia, a visible Russian presence surrounded the event, especially among spectators. One fan said chess has long been a central part of Russian education and culture and noted the large Russian-speaking community on the island. Limassol in particular hosts a substantial Russian-speaking population; estimates suggest around 40,000 Russian-speakers live on Cyprus, with more when dual nationals and long-term residents are counted, and more than 30,000 based in Limassol. That community grew after the Soviet Union’s collapse and expanded with Cyprus’s attractive tax, residency and real estate opportunities. Today Russian-speakers are prominent in business, education and daily life in the city.
Those ties may have helped make Cyprus an attractive venue for FIDE, despite chess not being a mass local sport. Russia’s historical influence in the game is reflected in FIDE leadership and staff, including president Arkady Dvorkovich and many contributors from Russian or Russian-speaking backgrounds.
Volunteers at the tournament also reflected that cultural connection. A mathematics student from Limassol studying on exchange at the Cyprus University of Technology described how chess is embedded in Russian schooling and culture, which partly explains why many Russian-speakers work within FIDE and volunteer at international events.
The location seemed to suit the new challenger. After his victory Sindarov said he would prefer to play a World Championship match in a warm place such as Cyprus rather than in cold conditions.