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Magnus Carlsen doesn't mince his words in brutal FIDE criticism: ‘Incredibly cruel to decide the Candidates spots by…'
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen slammed FIDE for their 2026 Candidates qualification process. He is not part of the ongoing FIDE cycle.
Anish Giri and Matthias Bluebaum finished first and second respectively, at the Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand, qualifying for the eight-player 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. There were some big names in contention for the Candidates' spots in Samarkand, like Alireza Firouzja, Hans Niemann, Arjun Erigaisi and Vincent Keymer, but lost out on tie-breaks in the finals round. Meanwhile, the lesser-known Bluebaum sealed his berth. Magnus Carlsen, who is not part of the ongoing FIDE cycle, slammed the international chess body for their rules, and criticised the qualification process.
The Norwegian pointed out that making tie-breaks the deciding factor would see better players miss out on berths.
Also Read: Magnus Carlsen abuses FIDE, calls Hikaru Nakamura ‘shameless’ in 2026 Candidates qualification controversy
Magnus Carlsen slams Candidates 2026 qualification process
Speaking on the Take Take Take podcast, he said, "I am out of that game. I am not making those rules. I am a mere spectator at this…it has to be said that it’s incredibly cruel to decide the Candidates spots by tie-breaks as they do. I don’t think it’s a good way to decide Candidates spots, but whatever."
When asked who he wanted to see qualify for the Candidates, he said, "I don’t really hope for anybody, but I generally hope to see the best there. Probably a couple of more young guys, but there’s not much to choose (from). I hope Alireza makes it, but I am not even sure if he’s going to even play in the World Cup."
Five berths are still left for the 2026 Candidates, and the winner will take on World Champion D Gukesh. Other than Giri and Bluebaum, American GM Fabiano Caruana has qualified as the leader of the 2024 FIDE Circuit. Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa looks set to qualify as he leads the 2025 FIDE Circuit by a huge margin.
On the other hand, veteran GM Hikaru Nakamura is taking part in lower-ranked tournaments to grab the spot given to the player with the highest average rating between August 2025 and January 2026.
