Viswanathan Anand backs Total Chess World Championship Tour, drops verdict on Magnus Carlsen's participation
Posted on: Dec 19, 2025 06:00 IST | Posted by: Hindustantimes
Viswanathan Anand backed the launching of the number domain title circuit, which will also see the participation of Magnus Carlsen. The tournament is Norway Chess' idea, and has received official approval from FIDE.
The winner of the championship will be called the Total Champion, and the events will be held across fast classic, rapid, and blitz formats.
Speaking to the Times of India, Anand said, "It’s a pleasure to work with Norway Chess — they have a serious long-term proposal. And like I keep saying, the sport benefits when Carlsen competes."
The tour will name an entirely new FIDE World Combined Champion across three time controls. The 'fast classical' format will feature a 45-minute time control with a 30-second increment and will now count for classically rated games under FIDE rules. The tour will consist of 24 players, with some qualifying through rating and the remaining through eligible tournaments.
Anand also weighed in on the upcoming Candidates 2026 Tournament, which will see R Praggnanandhaa in action. "Last time there were three boys and two women. This year we have three women but only one boy. And given that Gukesh is world champion, he is essentially our candidate for the next match. He is already qualified. It’s also very good for Pragg — he had a great year and I’m looking forward to the Candidates," he added.
Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi failed to qualify for the Candidates. "What Arjun is doing is correct — he keeps improving. He remains a fascinating player and will be exciting to watch in GCL as well. He will definitely have (his) chances. And with many new tournaments and the fast chess/total chess circuit, he will get many opportunities," he said.
"There are many youngsters. Pranav Venkatesh is getting strong. Pranav Anand is having a good year. I don’t know who will break out first, but we have a lot of depth and some of them will break through soon," he added.
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