Indian chess star Arjun Erigaisi and chess world champion D Gukesh have been seeded as Top Two for the fourth FIDE Grand Swiss chess tournament, which will take place at Samarkand in Uzbekistan from September 3 to 16.

An enhanced prize purse and tickets to the prestigious Candidates tournament will be at stake at the FIDE Grand Swiss chess tournament. Going by the regulations, the top two in both the Open and women’s competition will make it to the 2026 Candidates tournament, where the challenger for the title of world champion will be determined.

As a result of a rule that requires players to compete in 30-plus classical rated games between July 2024 and June 2025, high-profile names like former world champions Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand have been excluded.

Former world champion Ding Liren will also not be participating in the event. Fabiano Caruana, who played in all three previous Grand Swiss tournaments, will also not be there as he has already secured a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament by winning the 2024 FIDE Circuit.

While Erigaisi and Gukesh are number one and two seeds, respectively, R Praggnanandhaa is seeded fourth, just behind Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Another top performer, World Number 8 Alireza Firouzja (22), is ranked fifth.

The rest of the Top 10 players in the Open section include more seasoned Grandmasters, including two-time World Championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi, Anish Giri, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Levon Aronian, and Vladimir Fedoseev.

The Grand Swiss is one of the most important tournaments in the chess calendar as it is a gateway to the Candidates tournament. India’s Vidit Gujrathi (Open) and R Vaishali (Women) had won the 2023 Grand Swiss. The 11-round Swiss format tournament will feature 172 players, including 116 in the Open and 56 in the women’s tournament.

Apart from serving as a qualifier for the Candidates tournament, the Grand Swiss also features a notable prize fund, which has been significantly increased as compared to the last edition. The prize fund in the Open event is USD 625,000 (increased from USD 460,000 in 2023). In the Women’s competition, the prize fund would be USD 230,000, up from USD 140,000 in 2023.

Among 116 players in the Open, 101 have qualified by rating, while the remaining spots have been allocated to continental representatives, six FIDE wildcards. Five players are nominated by the local organiser.

The youngsters taking part in the event include Hans Niemann (22), Vincent Keymer (20), Javokhir Sindarov (19), Nihal Sarin (20) and Awonder Liang (22). Former candidate for the title of world champion Boris Gelfand as well as former women’s world championship challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina will also play in the Open on wildcard invitations.

The women’s tournament

In the women’s Grand Swiss, 44 players have qualified by rating. Four additional players are joining them from continental spots, four via FIDE wildcards and another four as nominations from the local organiser. Former world champion Tan Zhongyi is the top-rated participant, followed by seasoned elite international players Koneru Humpy, Anna Muzychuk and Kateryna Lagno. The 2023 winner, R Vaishali, is also taking part. Organised every two years, the FIDE Grand Swiss is held in a classical 11-round Swiss system tournament.