| 2026 | |||
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Defending champion |
Challenger | ||
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| Winner of the World Chess Championship 2024 | Winner of the Candidates Tournament 2026 | ||
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The World Chess Championship 2026 will be a chess match to determine the new World Chess Champion. It will be played between the defending champion (the winner of the previous championship match between Ding Liren and Gukesh D) and a challenger, who will be the winner of the Candidates Tournament 2026.