FIDE to Eliminate the Rating Spot for Candidates

As world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen gears up for the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour final in Cape Town, his comments about the Candidates rating spot have sparked widespread discussion online and even drawn a response from FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky.

In a press conference ahead of the event, here’s what Magnus had to say about Hikaru Nakamura’s 40-game open tournament sprint to secure the Candidates rating spot:

“I think that’s absolutely- it’s wild. It’s insane, why would you require somebody who’s very clearly good enough to play in the candidates, why would you require him to play these tournaments which he doesn’t really have time for? Well, you want to have the best players in the candidates and he’s clearly one of them.”

Carlsen’s remark prompted a direct and sharply critical reply from Sutovsky, who conspicuously disagreed and called Carlsen’s stance a “bad” one. The FIDE CEO argued that a top player aspiring to challenge for the world title should have no trouble meeting the bare minimum requirement of playing 40 games, describing the threshold as very modest in hindsight.

In a further escalation, Sutovsky announced he would lobby for the complete abolition of the rating spot. “Wolrd Cup, Grand Swiss, FIDE Circuit, and now Total World Championship Tour will be the paths to qualify,” declared FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky.

While many in the chess community support eliminating the rating spot altogether, others believe FIDE should stand firm and not be swayed by provocative statements. IM Michael Rahal (FIDE journalist) also weighed in on the debate:

As things stand, seven of the eight spots for the 2026 FIDE Candidates in Cyprus are locked in, with only Praggnanandhaa’s FIDE Circuit place still tentative. With just three weeks remaining in the final quarter, chess fans are eagerly await how the drama will unfold—and whether it will lead to lasting changes for the 2028 World Championship cycle.

Photo: Lennart Ootes