The chess world will have a 'chess emperor'.

FIDE officially ushered in a new era of chess by approving the Total Chess World Championship Tour tournament system.

Chess champion Gukesh (left) faces chess legend Magnus Carlsen - Photo: Noway Chess

The World Chess Federation (FIDE) has just approved a completely new tournament system called the Total Chess World Championship Tour. This is an effort to create a comprehensive super-tournament cycle for chess, honoring outstanding players in all three chess formats: fast classical, rapid, and blitz.

The tournament, initiated by Norway Chess, is scheduled for a trial run in autumn 2026 and will officially launch in 2027.

This new system consists of three initial qualifying rounds, bringing together 24 players with a minimum prize pool of $750,000 per tournament.

The final stage is the Final Four. Here, the four best players will compete for the FIDE World Combined Champion title, with a prize fund of at least $450,000.

A key highlight of this tournament is the introduction of rapid standard chess. Each game lasts only 45 minutes plus 30 seconds per move. This format is expected to shorten the duration compared to traditional standard chess, creating dramatic matches while maintaining tactical depth.

The Total Chess World Championship Tour is expected to create a "FIDE super-tournament cycle" similar to the ATP Tour in tennis. The aim is to maintain year-round appeal for the sport , instead of focusing solely on the traditional World Chess Championship tournaments (currently held by Gukesh Dommaraju).

"The goal is to honor players with all-around abilities and who can adapt quickly to various competition formats," a representative from Norway Chess affirmed.

World number one Magnus Carlsen is considered the most suitable candidate for this new format. Carlsen is known for his versatility, frequently dominating rapid and blitz chess tournaments. FIDE's approval of this tournament is seen as an indirect step in creating a larger stage for Carlsen to showcase his talent without having to return to the traditional Candidates tournament.

The Total Chess World Championship Tour will be open to both men and women, with a commitment to maintaining at least one parallel women's tournament with equivalent prize money. FIDE affirms that this is a supplementary system, not a replacement for the current World Chess Champion title.

TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lang-co-vua-se-co-dai-de-co-20251016110827145.htm