Indian stars Arjun Erigaisi and world champion D Gukesh (in pic) have been seeded as top two for the fourth FIDE Grand Swiss chess to be held at Samarkand, Uzbekistan from September 3 to 16 where an enhanced prize purse and tickets to the prestigious Candidates tournament will be at stake.
As per regulations, the top two in both the Open and the Women’s competition will qualify for the 2026 Candidates tournament, where the challenger for the title of world champion will be determined.
The rule requiring players to have competed in 30 plus classical rated games between July 2024 and June 2025 has excluded high‑profile names such as former world champions Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand.