What is the World Chess Championship?
The World Chess Championship is chess's crown, contested since Steinitz beat Zukertort in 1886. Its lineage runs through Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov and Carlsen to Gukesh Dommaraju, who won it at 18 — the youngest ever — and defends against Javokhir Sindarov in Geneva at the end of 2026.[1] [2]
Why does it matter?
It is one of the oldest continuously contested individual titles in sport — and its matches, from Fischer–Spassky in 1972 to the modern Indian era, have repeatedly carried meaning far beyond the board.[2] [3]
References
- World Chess Championship 2026. Accessed August 2026.
- Chess.com — Geneva to host the 2026 FIDE World Championship. Accessed August 2026.
- FIDE — official site. Accessed August 2026.