The World Chess Championship 2026 is an upcoming chess match to determine the World Chess Champion. It will be played between the defending champion Gukesh Dommaraju and the challenger, Javokhir Sindarov, the winner of the Candidates Tournament 2026. The Championship is provisionally scheduled between 23 November and 17 December 2026, while the host city is yet to be decided.

The challenger, Javokhir Sindarov, qualified by winning the Candidates Tournament 2026, which was held at the Cap Saint Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus, between 28 March and 16 April.

The eight players to qualify to the Candidates Tournament were:

Unlike other Candidates Tournaments, and any FIDE World Championship cycle (except 1999–2004 during the split-title period), there was no automatic spot for the runner-up of the previous Championship (Ding Liren). To compensate, the 2024 championship was considered an eligible tournament for the FIDE Circuit, with the runner-up obtaining special bonus points for the 2025 FIDE Circuit based on his score.

Bids for the hosting of the World Championship were to be presented to FIDE no later than 31 May 2026, but the deadline was later extended to 21 June.

Similar to the last world championship match, the prize fund allocated for the event is US$2.5 million.