Anand Backs Historic Chess Tour, Weighs in on Carlsen's Return & Rising Stars

Image Source: Internet

Five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand has given his seal of approval to the Total Chess World Championship Tour, a groundbreaking initiative that will see the participation of Magnus Carlsen. The brainchild of Norway Chess, the tour has received the official nod from FIDE, the governing body of world chess. The tour, scheduled to take place across various formats including fast classic, rapid, and blitz, will crown a new Total Champion. Anand, speaking to the Times of India, praised Norway Chess for its long-term vision and expressed his enthusiasm for Carlsen's return to competitive chess. '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 Total Chess World Championship Tour will feature 24 players, with some qualifying through rating and others through eligible tournaments. The tour will also introduce a new FIDE World Combined Champion title, which will be awarded to the winner across three time controls. Anand also shared his thoughts on the upcoming Candidates 2026 Tournament, where R Praggnanandhaa will be 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 said. Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi failed to qualify for the Candidates, but Anand remains optimistic about his potential. '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.' Anand also highlighted the emergence of young talent in Indian chess, including Pranav Venkatesh and Pranav Anand. '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.'