TASHKENT, May 4. /Dunyo IA/. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has announced the start of the application process to host the 2026 World Chess Championship match, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The match will be played between reigning champion Gukesh Dommaraju and challenger Javokhir Sindarov. The upcoming encounter will be the youngest championship match in history, with both grandmasters expected to be 20 years old at the time of the start.

It is tentatively scheduled for the period from November 23 to December 17 this year and will last up to 25 days. The estimated budget is 8.5 million US dollars, with a minimum prize fund set at 2.5 million dollars.

Organizers applying to host the event must submit detailed bids with financial conditions, including the distribution of commercial, sponsorship and broadcasting rights. The deadline for submitting documents is May 31.

FIDE reserves the right to hold additional negotiations with candidates, and the final decision will be made taking into account the overall conditions offered and the interests of chess development.

At present, a number of candidate cities are being considered. Among the main contenders are Tashkent and Samarkand, where, following Javokhir’s success, readiness has been expressed at the state level to host the match. India is also considered a favourite due to champion Gukesh, with Chennai and New Delhi being discussed as venues.

Neutral options include Singapore, which hosted the previous match, as well as Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which are heavily investing in chess. London is mentioned among European possibilities.

In addition, other cities capable of joining the tender are being discussed in chess circles, including Batumi, Riyadh, Astana, Warsaw and Düsseldorf. Some of them already have experience hosting major FIDE tournaments or are ready to offer significant financial conditions.

A non-standard format is also not ruled out – hosting the match in two countries at once, for example India and Uzbekistan. The final list of candidates will be known after the application deadline at the end of May.