The Candidates Tournament 2026 is already building excitement, and one of the fresh faces to watch is the young Russian chess prodigy, Andrey Esipenko. This 23-year-old grandmaster secured an important spot by excelling in the 2025 Chess World Cup held in Goa, India, proving his skill and determination on a global stage.
Andrey Esipenko Finishes Third In The FIDE World Cup 2025
Esipenko finished in an impressive third place in the 2025 FIDE World Cup, securing the final spot for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. In the crucial third-place match held in Goa, Esipenko defeated Nodirbek Yakubboev 2-0 in classical games. Yakubboev needed to win to stay in contention, but made a critical blunder early on, allowing Esipenko to seize a winning advantage that forced Yakubboev to eventually resign.
After playing 30 games in this gruelling knockout tournament, Esipenko described this moment as possibly the best in his career, although he admitted to feeling extremely exhausted. This third-place finish also came with a $60,000 prize, while Nodirbek Yakubboev earned $50,000 for fourth place.
Andrey Esipenko In The Candidates Tournament 2026
Esipenko’s journey to the Candidates was marked by strong performances at the World Cup. In the intense third-place playoff against Nodirbek Yakubboev, Esipenko showed his mettle by winning both classical games decisively.
This victory was crucial as it earned him the third qualifying slot, placing him among the elite eight players set to compete in the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus in early 2026. The winner of this prestigious event will go on to challenge the reigning World Champion, D Gukesh, later in the year.
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Candidates Tournament 2026 Packed With Top Grandmasters
The Candidates Tournament 2026 promises to be a thrilling event, featuring other top grandmasters such as Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Matthias Blübaum, Wei Yi, Javokhir Sindarov, Praggnanandhaa, and Hikaru Nakamura.
Andrey Esipenko’s qualification for the Candidates Tournament marks a significant step in his promising chess career. With his strong showing at the 2025 Chess World Cup, he has proven that he belongs at the highest level of chess competition.
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