World Chess Championships to be held in Geneva, Switzerland
By Robby B. · Tue, 28 Jul 2026
Interim FIDE President, Vishy Anand announces the World Chess Championships will be held in Geneva, Switzerland November 25th until December 15th, 2026.
The World Chess Championship has returned to Europe! The International Chess Federation announced that the World Chess Championships between Indian GM Gukesh Dommaraju and Uzbek GM Javokhir Sindarov will be played in Geneva, Switzerland from November 25th until December 15th, 2026.Anand said alongside the announcement that, “Several countries expressed a strong interest in hosting the FIDE World Championship Match, including India, the United States and Cyprus. After carefully considering all the proposals, FIDE has decided to stage the match on neutral soil and bring it to Geneva, a city with a historic tradition of bringing nations and cultures together. We look forward to welcoming the global chess community to Switzerland. The local chess fans will have the opportunity to experience world-class chess in person, while millions of fans around the globe can follow the battle online as the duel for the highest title in chess unfolds.”The match will feature reigning World Champion Gukesh defending his title for the first time after becoming the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion in history by defeating Ding Liren in Singapore in 2024. His challenger, Sindarov, earned the right to contest the crown after an outstanding Candidates Tournament performance, becoming the first Uzbek player to reach a World Championship match.The last time a World Chess Championship was held in Europe was the exciting match between Norwegian GM Magnus Carlsen and American GM Fabiano Caruana took place in London in 2018. FIDE has yet to release any further details on the specific venue, ticket information, or the daily playing schedule.