Jose Martinez Alcantara is the first ever Latin American player to reach the QF of the World Chess Cup
The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 is an eight-player double round-robin chess tournament scheduled to take place between March 25 and May 1, 2026, to determine the challenger for the World Chess Championship 2026 against reigning champion D. Gukesh. Organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), the tournament follows a revamped qualification system introduced in 2024, that follows a merit-based qualification pathways through major events, ratings, and the FIDE Circuit. Unlike any other Candidates Tournaments, there is no automatic spot for the runner-up of the previous Championship (Ding Liren).
Information: Candidates Chess 2026 information / Candidates 2026 in Cyprus
Candidates players: Fabiano Caruna, Hikaru Nakamura, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Anish Giri and Matthias Bluebaum + 3 World Cup players
The Candidates 2026 field is shaping up to be a treat to the chess world, as we await the final three players to join the field. They will come from the FIDE World Chess Cup, where the competition has reached the quarterfinal. Jose Martinez Alcantara, Donchenko, Esipenko, Shankland, Sindarov, Yakubboev, Wei Yi, and Arjun Erigaisi will battle out for the final three spots.
Jose Martinez Alcantara qualified to the quarterfinals, proving his (ever more silent) critics wrong again and again. Alcantara defeated Harikrishna in round 5 and with this became the first ever Latin American player to reach the quarterfinals of the World Chess Cup.
Jose Martinez Alcantara shared, “I do not train calculation, but years of experience help me a lot.” He added, “I am reaching quarterfinals of the World Cup, I will try to enjoy this moment and do my best. For sure I am the underdog every single match. But I am a rock! It will not be easy to eliminate me.” See the full interview with Jose Martinez Alcantara below.