Sindarov reveals where he wants to face Gukesh in World Chess Championship clash: 'I don't want to play in...'

FIDE shared a fresh update on the upcoming 2026 World Chess Championship clash between reigning champion Dommaraju Gukesh and challenger Javokhir Sindarov on Monday.

FIDE revealed Sindarov’s interesting answer when he was asked where he would like to play the world championship match against Gukesh later this year. FIDE shared the video along with a post that said the bidding process has started.

After winning the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament, Sindarov said he would prefer the match to take place in a "hot country" because his home country Uzbekistan would be extremely cold during that period.

"It would be in December. Personally. I would choose some hot country like Cyprus because I don't want to play a world championship match in cold weather. For me, it doesn't matter, but if I have a choice, probably this is it," he said.

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When will the match take place?

The governing body has already opened the official bidding process for hosting rights of the World Championship match, with interested organisers and countries invited to submit proposals.

FIDE had officially announced on April 30 that the 2026 World Chess Championship match is provisionally scheduled to take place from November 23 to December 17.

The organisation also revealed important details regarding the event. The tournament is expected to last around 25 days, while the estimated total budget for the championship stands at USD 8.5 million (around Rs 80 crore).

FIDE has also set a minimum prize fund of USD 2.5 million (around Rs 23 crore) for the title clash. The upcoming battle between Gukesh and Sindarov is expected to create history as the youngest-ever World Championship match. Both players will be only 20 years old when they face each other later this year.

Gukesh had become the youngest world champion in chess history after defeating Ding Liren in 2024 at the age of 18. Sindarov, meanwhile, booked his place in the title clash after producing a dominant display in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament.