The Show Must Go On: FIDE Responds To Fears The Candidates In Cyprus Is Under Threat
Ever since a drone strike hit a British air base in Cyprus around midnight on the second night of the war in Iran, the chess world has been on edge.
In two weeks' time the FIDE's marquee Candidates tournament kicks off on the island. The chess elite will be there, the chess world will be watching.
The 14-round tournament, that decides this year's challenger to World Champion GM Gukesh D, is considered the most consequential and demanding event in chess. It starts on March 29 and the winner will be known by the final round on April 15.
The venue for the 2026 edition is the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort, a five-star coastal venue near Paphos, the other side off the island to the drone strike.
It is a worrying time for millions of people around the world. But is Cyprus's proximity to the war in Iran a problem for the world's top chess players and its governing body? Could the FIDE Candidates tournament be affected?
In an interview with IM Sagar Shah for Chessbase India, FIDE's CEO Emil Sutovsky claimed not. However, he did concede that FIDE is monitoring the situation.
He said: "Our plans have not changed. We are in the final stages of preparing the Candidates Tournament. Of course, we are monitoring the situation. Cyprus is not too far from, let's say, the war zone or conflict zone, but at the same time, it is not directly involved in any way and is not in a state of war.
"There is no emergency situation or anything like that. Of course, about ten days ago there were some worrying news, but since then the situation has appeared quite calm.
"But we are, of course, not just hoping that nothing will happen. We are constantly monitoring the situation and also staying in contact with the state authorities who are assisting us with everything related to the tournament.
"As I mentioned earlier, this event is not just some chess tournament in Cyprus. The government fully understands the status of this event and its importance. The President of the country is scheduled to personally open the tournament on March 28.
"We are considering various scenarios, even the most unlikely ones. But we firmly believe that the current situation provides no grounds or reasonable reasons to postpone the date or move the tournament from Cyprus.
"Could something happen? Possibly. But at the moment, we don’t see anything even remotely dangerous enough to consider moving it."
The FIDE Candidates isn't the only major event threatened by war and instability in the Middle East. This August chess is due to appear for the second time at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh.